Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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Wahkiakum County commissioners visited with Rep. James Walsh Tuesday and handled a variety of other business. The visit was part of an effort by the Washington Association of Counties to get state legislators and local officials together to discuss issues and concerns. Last week, Sen. Dean Takko and Rep. Brian Blake visited the commission meeting. Commissioners covered a variety of issues, including dissatisfaction with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's (WDFW) management of...
Wahkiakum County Assessor Bill Coons had an unpleasant surprise in his email Tuesday afternoon. He received notification of new state property tax levy rates from the Washington Department of Revenue, saying, in effect, the state property tax levy rate is going up approximately 50 percent, which will raise property taxes about $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The increase is a result of the legislature's action in response to the state supreme court's McLeary Decision, which mandated increased funding for basic education in...
Last Saturday, 10 young Wahkiakum County residents and 10 members of the Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Department descended on a Longview Walmart for a bout of holiday shopping. It was the department's first Shop With a Cop event, and Sheriff Mark Howie said it came together in a hurry. "(Undersheriff) Gary Howell and I were talking about setting it up for next year," Howie said Tuesday. Then Emergency Services Director Beau Renfro said he had money to do the program this year. In off hours,...
The Naselle Comets defeated the Wahkiakum Mules 57-51 last Friday to claim the KM Trophy for basketball. The Comets led 12-9 after one quarter, but the Mules were on top 21-19 at halftime and 37-35 after three quarters. The Comets outscored the Mules 22-14 in the fourth quarter to win. "Their in your face defense really bothered us all night and made it difficult to get in a rhythm on the offensive end," said Mule Coach Todd Souvenir. The Comets executed from the charity stripe late in the game,...
Wait and see. That was the message from the Wahkiakum County board of commissioners to public officials making late requests for changes in the 2018 budgets. Prosecuting Attorney Dan Bigelow and District Court Judge Heidi Heywood were asking for pay class increases for two staff members each, saying circumstances earlier this fall kept them from making the requests when other department heads made them, and which commissioners subsequently approved. Town of Cathlamet Librarian Carol Blix was...
For 90 minutes Tuesday, Wahkiakum County officials and residents discussed issues with District 19 members of the state legislators. Topics included management of fish and game, limits on property taxes, encumbered county trust timberland, beach nourishment, funding of state mandates, consolidation of health care services, funding for 911 emergency dispatching and others. The meeting was sponsored by the Washington State Association of Counties as a means of making sure legislators hear local co...
After two days of discussions, Wahkiakum County commissioners are a bit closer to setting their 2019 budgets. They spent Monday and Tuesday meetings discussing levy numbers and last minute requests from department heads and supporters of the Cathlamet town library. With Commissioner Blair Brady out of town, collegues Dan Cothren and Mike Backman put off some decisions so that Brady could participate. A resolution for adoption of the budget will come later this month. At the top of the list this week was the request from the Town of Cathlamet...
The proposed 2018 Wahkiakum County budgets have been published, and the public hearing commences next Monday morning, but county commissioners continue to hear requests for modifications and appropriations. On Tuesday, commissioners heard requests from Wahkiakum District Court and the Town of Cathlamet Library for appropriations, and they heard comments in a public hearing of new ferry fares that led them to change their planned new rates. Commissioners had planned a basic 5 percent increase in ferry fares, with additions of some new rates for...
Commissioners of Port District 2 approved their 2018 budget and voted not to raise the district's property tax when they met Nov. 21. The proposed budget totals $1.13 million, up from $1.1 million for 2017. Actual 2017 expenditures through mid-November totaled $930,111. The district expects to receive $415,696 in revenue from operations, including camping fees at County Line and Skamokawa Vista parks and $25,000 from the sale of sand deposited by US Army Corps of Engineers dredging of the Columbia River shipping channel. Another $116,750 will...
Wahkiakum County's final tally of general election ballots on Tuesday produced no changes from previous totals. Incumbent Mayor Dale Jacobson won a close election for mayor, 72-65, over write-in candidate Laurel Waller. When votes were first counted Nov. 7, Waller led 58-53. In the second round, Jacobson led 69-65, and when votes were counted Nov. 17, he added three more to his total. Waller had filed as a candidate for Council Position 5 and defeated write-in candidate Jean Burnham, who was appointed to the council earlier this year, 99-43....
Wahkiakum County commissioners will meet with District 19 state legislators next Tuesday, and they're inviting the public to join the fun. Coming at the end of the board's 11 a.m. session next Tuesday, the meeting is part of an effort by the Washington Association of Counties (WSAC ) to have local officials discuss issues and needs with legislators. Expected participants include Sen. Dean Takko and Representatives Brian Blake and Jim Walsh, and a representative from WSAC. Commissioners have topics in mind to discuss with the legislators, and...
Customers of the Town of Cathlamet's water and sewer systems will see 2.9 percent rate increases in 2018, the town council decided Monday. The increases are included in an ordinance which passed its first reading by a 4-0 vote on Monday. Final action on the ordinance will take place at the council's Dec. 18 meeting. Under the proposed new rates, the basic monthly water charge would be $35.96 inside city limits and $52.76 outside the city limits. The basic monthly sewer charge would be $98.78 inside city limits and $114.84 outside the city limit...
Last Friday, incumbent Mayor Dale Jacobson increased his narrow lead in the election for mayor, 72-65, over write-in candidate Laurel Waller. When votes were first counted Nov. 7, Waller led 58-53. In the second round, Jacobson led 69-65, and when votes were counted Nov. 17, he added three more to his total. Waller had filed as a candidate for Council Position 5, and she leads write-in candidate Jean Burnham, who was appointed to the council earlier this year, 99-43. Waller has said she would take the office of mayor and forfeit the council...
Local agencies are looking for citizens willing to participate in local government. Branches of Wahkiakum County government have several vacancies on governing boards, and Port District 2 has a vacancy on its board of commissioners. Vacant county positions include: --The Wahkiakum County Planning Commission has a vacancy available in each of the three commissioner districts--Puget Island/South Cathlamet; Rosedale/Elochoman, and Skamokawa/Westend. --The Wahkiakum County Noxious Weed Control Board has vacancies in Weed Control District 4 (east en...
Washington's Board of Natural Resources (BNR) on Nov. 7 selected its preferred alternative for management of marbled murrelet habitat on state-managed trust timberlands. Started in 1997, the habitat conservation plan (HCP) is meant to preserve habitat for the endangered species, which lays eggs on large mossy branches in old trees. According to a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) news release, the alternative "is intended to provide long-term certainty for murrelet conservation practices, and for public services and local jobs that rely on...
The election for mayor of Cathlamet took a turn in the second round of tallying votes last Thursday. Incumbent Mayor Dale Jacobson claimed a narrow lead in the election, 69-65, over write-in candidate Laurel Waller. When votes were first counted Nov. 7, Waller led 58-53. Waller had filed as a candidate for Council Position 5, and she leads write-in candidate Jean Burnham, who was appointed to the council earlier this year, 96-42. Waller has said she would take the office of mayor and forfeit the council position if she were to defeat Jacobson....
Are the gloves ready to come off? Wahkiakum County officials are trying to get everything in order for beach nourishment projects next year, and facing one major obstacle. County officials and their engineering consultants met Tuesday afternoon to go over the final section of the permitting process, the Section 408 review, and they feel good about that, said Commissioner Dan Cothren. "Once we get this out of the way, I'd say that by January, we'll get some dates (for dredging)," Cothren said. "They'll know what's out there." He was referring...
News from Naselle: Congratulations to the Naselle Comet football team as they head to Montesano to play Almira-Coulee-Hartline on Saturday in a state playoff game. The game will start at 1 p.m. Other sports coming up this week include: Today (Thursday), middle school girls basketball at Willapa Valley at 5:45 p.m.; Monday, middle school girls basketball in Naselle with South Bend at 5:45 p.m.; Tuesday, middle school girls basketball at Ocosta at 5:45 p.m. Go Comets! Don’t forget the Naselle Booster Club’s Chili Feed and Turkey Bingo night thi...
Wahkiakum County commissioners will hold a public hearing November 28, 9:50 a.m., to consider raising rates for travelers on the Puget Island ferry. Rates haven't been raised since 2010, Public Works Director Chuck Beyer said last week. In the meantime, the county's operating costs have increased. As proposed, basic rates would increase $1. The rate for a foot passenger would go up $1 to $2; the rate for a small vehicle would go from $5 to $6. The cost for a bicycle would increase by $1 to $3, and the cost of a motorcycle would increase $1 to...
The election for mayor of Cathlamet took a turn in the second round of tallying votes last Thursday. Incumbent Mayor Dale Jacobson claimed a narrow lead in the election, 69-65, over write-in candidate Laurel Waller. When votes were first counted Nov. 7, Waller led 58-53. Waller had filed as a candidate for Council Position 5, and she leads write-in candidate Jean Burnham, who was appointed to the council earlier this year, 96-42. Waller has said she would take the office of mayor and forfeit the council position if she were to defeat Jacobson....
Wahkiakum County commissioners wrapped up preliminary budget work Monday by agreeing to raises in wages for sheriff's department personnel. Commissioners Blair Brady, Dan Cothren and Mike Backman had recessed their meetings with department heads to Monday to get more details from Sheriff Mark Howie about his requests. The sheriff's major requests included creating a sergeant position for corrections officers and boosting wages by two steps of the salary schedule. Commissioners had discussed the requests at a meeting last week, and they...
Wahkiakum County commissioners addressed a variety of business at their meeting on Tuesday. --Commissioners accepted the resignation of Sharon Lilja from the county planning commission. There are three vacancies on the board, one from each county commission district. --Board Chair Blair Brady asked Public Works Director Chuck Beyer to prepare a new ferry rate schedule with a 20 percent increase, meaning the $5 fare would increase to $6. Public Works Director Chuck Beyer said the last increase had been in 2010. Brady commented that the county's...
News from Naselle: Sports calendar for the Naselle Comet teams this week: Thursday, middle school girls basketball at Raymond at 5:45 p.m.; Tuesday, middle school girls basketball in Naselle with North Beach at 5:45 p.m. Go Comets! There will be a Veteran’s Day Assembly today at 12:30 p.m. in the Naselle gym, honoring our local veterans. Many, if not all vets in our community have received a personal invitation to attend this assembly in their honor. The Naselle Lutheran Church will hold their annual Bazaar on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Here’s...
When it rains, it pours? Well, the rain came down last Friday night at the Wahkiakum Mule football stadium, and the visiting Rainier Mountaineers drenched the host Mules in a 47-7 playoff decision. The Mountaineers scored three times in the first quarter and three times in the second to take a commanding 39-7 halftime lead. The Mules moved the ball in the air in the first quarter and set up a one-yard touchdown plunge by junior quarterback Lucas Brown. Brown kicked the extra point cutting the Mo...
The 2018 financial picture for Wahkiakum County government isn't all that bleak. County officials are wrapping up preparation of a set of preliminary budgets for next year, and they're anticipating a financial position that will allow them to consider granting some of the requests for wage adjustments and other additions requested by department heads. That's not what county commissioners anticipated earlier this year. "I thought we would be looking at layoffs," commission Chair Blair Brady commented Tuesday when commissioners, auditor and...
