Week of March 12, 2026
Week of March 12, 2026
Investment companies have whittled away the land hunters can use in Wahkiakum and Pacific counties. Access to tens of thousands of acres of locally treasured, longtime hunting grounds is now blocked because a new generation of private landowners won't offer access. The landowners are often investment companies, not based in the region or even the country. Not only is hunting off limits on their lands, they also often block access to adjacent properties that are state-owned — and therefore should be public — or adjacent privately owned...
During their Tuesday, March 10 meeting, Wahkiakum’s Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) unanimously approved a liquor license renewal for Angie’s Cathlamet Chevron (274 E SR-4, Cathlamet). The commissioners then approved Amendment No. 4 of the Agreement for Detention of Wahkiakum County Juveniles in Cowlitz County Juvenile Detention Facility. The amendment would increase the current contract price of $152 per juvenile detention bed to $250 per day. The commissioners then unanimously approved a letter of support for the PUD’s (Public...
During its monthly meeting Thursday, Feb. 26, the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments (CWCOG) Board of Directors was presented with a request from Executive Director William Fashing on behalf of staff for the consideration of Resolution 26-05. The purpose of the resolution is “to implement the Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) guidance for a special call for projects.” According to Thursday’s agenda, CRP is “a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) transportation program established in 2021 under the Infrastructure Investment and...
Sweet potatoes from Lower Columbia River gardens? Here are some of one of our gardeners’ techniques. I read a news item this week from Dr. Carol Miles, a WSU vegetable research scientist. She does research on new potential crops for the western Washington region and got her start in Cowlitz Extension some years ago. She has recently been working with sweet potatoes and is convinced that, in the right locations and the warming from climate change, they can be grown commercially. In Columbia County, quite a few gardeners have experimented...
The Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce is pleased to be partnering with The Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments, as well as many other regional and state resources, to bring a Small Business Workshop to Wahkiakum County. This workshop will focus on small business planning and setup, and will even have the opportunity for one-on-one consultations for specific business needs and questions. “We recognize that setting up and maintaining a business can be confusing and daunting,” said Wahkiakum Chamber Executive Director Ryan Murillo. “All...
The following writeup of the Wednesday, March 4 session of Clatskanie City Council was prepared by Council President Bob Emminger On Wednesday, March 5, the Clatskanie City Council met for their regular monthly meeting. Mayor Bob Brajcich opened the meeting with public comment. The only comment was an update on the City park pickleball court. The first agenda item was a presentation by Kathy Wilson from SingerLewak CPAs. She was there to present the findings of the 2025 financial audit. SingerLewak CPAs audited the financial statements of the...
Columbia County’s Solid Waste Division is hosting four free mattress recycling events in 2026 to help residents safely dispose of mattresses and box springs. “Mattresses are bulky items that take up a lot of space in landfills, but many of their materials can actually be recycled,” said Solid Waste Coordinator for Columbia County Tatum Flowers. “These events give residents an easy and free way to dispose of them responsibly while helping us recover valuable materials and reduce waste in our community.” The events will take place at...
Due to 1976 being a leap year the dates no longer line up with 2026. We would like to hear from readers about reprinting articles from the past. Call, email, or stop by our office and let us know what you think. Thank you to volunteer Julie O’Neil and volunteer curator, genealogist, and board member Kari Kandoll for digitizing these articles. Family Wedding Mr and Mrs. Roy C. Campsall announce the wedding of their daughter, Kim Whitfield to Tom Crouse, Saturday March 13 at 8 p.m. at the Campsall home. Kim is the daughter of Mrs. Roy...
Today is Thursday, March 12, the 71st day of 2026. There are 294 days left in the year. Today in history: On March 12, 1930, Mohandas Gandhi began his 24-day, 240-mile “Salt March” to the Indian village of Dandi (then called Navsari) as an act of nonviolent civil disobedience to protest the salt tax levied by colonial Britain. Also on this date: In 1912, the Girl Scouts of the USA had its beginnings as Juliette Gordon Low of Savannah, Georgia, founded the first American troop of the Girl Guides. In 1928, the St. Francis Dam north of Los...
I recently interviewed Cathlamet resident Jane O’Brien for our 54th installment of Reader’s Fave, a casual interview with someone who shares their favorite book. Opening our conversation, Jane said, “I love to write. In 2025 I wrote ‘Losses Held in My Mother’s Purse: A Journey Through Grief Toward Grace.’ It took me about six months to write this book. It’s about my journey out of the mental despair; the depression I was in. In 2017, I had suffered the loss of my son, which broke things wide open. It was kind of like the final...
The Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP) is starting up in Wahkiakum County, and community members are invited to attend an informational meeting to learn more. The meetings will include an introductory presentation on VSP and time for audience questions and answers (Q&A). There will be two identical meetings offered in the county. Those who are interested are encouraged to select and attend one. The first takes place from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Skamokawa Grange (18 Fairgrounds Rd., Skamokawa) on Monday, April 13. The second meeting will be from...
After Washington State Department of Health sunsetted their Kiosk Program in March of 2025, Wahkiakum County lost its only discreet, 24-hour, free healthcare product dispenser. Wahkiakum County Health & Human Services (WCHHS) was fortunate to operate one of the 20 kiosks in the entire state, and residents made good use of it. The latest numbers provided showed an average of 121 dispenses each month that the machine was in operation. These numbers showed a dramatic increase from many of the same products that were already available at the...
Rainier City Council held its monthly public meeting on Monday, Mar. 2, with discussions about the forthcoming Columbia 911 Communications District tax levy dominating the session. The 911 Communications District has seen a shake-up and changes of guard the past 18 months. Scappoose City Council President and 911 Board Member Tyler Miller challenged the levy, citing available reserve funds, unresolved infrastructure issues, and, according to Miller, “very precise, documented incidents of [financial] waste that has occurred.” The levy is a...
Landowners, long-time residents, tribal representatives, agency staff, and conservation groups gathered around tables during the Jan. 28 Wahkiakum Common Ground workshop at the Vista Park Annex in Skamokawa to talk about the land and water they share. These workshops are designed to bring people together to better understand the county's watersheds and the challenges facing them. Skamokawa resident, author, and historian Irene Martin opened the first conversation by asking, "Are we all speaking...
So what's the big deal with Daylight Savings Time (DST) nowadays? I'm seeing news story after news story about the depth and breadth of the mental anguish folks are experiencing due to the time change. It's an hour, for Pete's sake; and, it's not like it's something new. In fact, and thanks to Google, I learned that DST was first enacted in March of 1918 "as a World War I measure to conserve fuel by extending evening daylight." It was, she said, "a temporary wartime policy." However, DST was...
Legislators, students, historical society members, reenactors of Founding Fathers, and more gathered March 2 in the Capitol to read the Declaration of Independence, interpret it for today, and celebrate the 250th year since it was signed. "We can be inspired by the enduring ideals of liberty and equality articulated in the Declaration, and we can also grapple with the discomfort, frustration, or even anger at the language used in personal views of Founding Fathers like Thomas Jefferson,"...
To The Eagle, I encourage everyone to research the CIA’s Operation Mockingbird, read the book “Chaos” by Tom O’Neill, watch the documentary “Out of Shadows” (www.intothelight.movie), and break free from the herd mentality. In 2025, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the CDC to cease its nationwide recommendation for community water fluoridation and to reconvene the Community Preventive Services Task Force—an independent panel of health experts—to conduct a fresh review of the scientific...
To The Eagle, As a dental hygienist, I was taught how beneficial fluoride is to prevent dental decay, but my curiosity led me to discover some horrible facts about fluoride. I’ll list only two for brevity. One is that during the formation of the fetus - through the first years of life - fluoride actually lowers the IQ of that child. And if the mother has hypothyroidism while pregnant, the IQ is lowered even more. Further studies have also shown fluoride also damages the central nervous system, causes permanent changes in behavior, like...
To The Eagle, Prior to 1970, women’s history was not discussed or part of the school curriculum. The first school district to celebrate Women’s History Week was in Sonoma, Calif. This sparked others to celebrate women’s accomplishments in their own communities. Jimmy Carter was the first President to initiate National Women’s History Week, March 2 through March 8, 1980. In Carter’s address, he encouraged schools to give focus to the many accomplishments of women. “From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first...
The Wahkiakum boys varsity basketball season ended in the Round of 12 on Wednesday, March 4, as the Mules fell to the Kodiaks 57-52. Going into the matchup, the Mules had played Columbia Adventist three times throughout the season, going 2-1. Unfortunately, it would be the Kodiaks who took the fourth game of the series, leading much of the game and fending off a late comeback from the Mules down the stretch. Head Coach Rob Garrett said there wasn't much mystery about the result; it just came...
March 2 9:54 a.m. A Cathlamet resident called to report that their neighbor had taken down a fence belonging to them without permission. 1:20 p.m. Deputies performed a welfare check for a Cathlamet resident whose friend had not heard from them in a while and were able to make contact. 3:01 p.m. An Elochoman Valley resident called to report that a dog killed their neighbor's lamb. Deputies responded and discovered that the dog was owned by the same person as the lamb that was killed. 7:26 p.m. A...
