Kalama
LATEST NEWS
Finally Home: Columbia Hills welcomes back residents
Columbia Hills Retirement Center has risen from the ashes, welcoming back residents of the facility with a ceremony just over 18 months after a deadly fire claimed the life of one resident and displaced others. The fire took place in October of 2022 at Columbia Hills Retirement Center at 36050 Pittsburg Road in St. Helens. An explosion and subsequent fire took the life of one resident and caused significant damage to one of the facility’s wings. ...
Fresh Identity: Sea Lions Swim Team unveil new brand
Youth swimmers in Columbia County have a new look, as the county’s only year-round competitive swim club unveiled a new logo at Eisenschmidt Pool during the team’s annual Swim-a-thon fundraiser. The Columbia County Sea Lions Swim Team is almost 50 years old, and the team determined it was time to retire the decades-old logo and modernize the team’s identity to better represent today’s swimmers. The Sea Lions Swim Team is...
In Preparation: Columbia Chorale of Oregon performing locally
Columbia Chorale of Oregon and the River City Children’s Choirs will perform their pre-Carnegie Hall concert locally on May 19, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. at the Christian Church of St. Helens, 185 S. 12th Street, St. Helens, OR. We invite the public to hear The Magnificat and other selections by composer John Rutter. Columbia Chorale of Oregon will be performing Magnificat on May 27, 2024 in Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Opportunity: Youth Entrepreneurship Program up and running
Local non-profit Columbia County Helping Undo Boundaries (HUB) is still seeking ambassadors and participants for its Youth Entrepreneurship Training and Contest, which is kicking off this summer. The program is for young people between the ages of 16-26, and offers a financial training course that will wrap up with a Shark Tank / Voice type competition where $12,500 in startup funds will be awarded to the winner. The course component...
Upcoming Election: On the ballot in Columbia County
The 2024 Oregon Primary Election is next week, and there will be several ballot measures that could affect tax rates across the county. While we have heard from the candidates running for Position 1 and Position 3 for the Columbia County Commission, let’s take a look at the ballot measures that voters will be asked to approve or deny during this election cycle. Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District - Renewal of...
St. Helens making it easier to attend temporary 13 Nights on the River venue
With the popular 13 Nights on the River event making a temporary move to McCormick Park this summer, the city of St. Helens is in the process of making improvements near the city’s largest park. The city says these parking and pedestrian pathway projects will be along Old Portland Road near the city’s St. Helens Recreation Center. Temporary parking stall striping will add about 151 parking spaces to the vacant...
Recognized: Scappoose High School receives Gold Council Award
Scappoose High School is one of 21 high schools and five middle schools in the state that received recognition as a high-achieving leadership program. Scappoose High School was awarded a Gold Council Award at the OASC Spring Leadership Conference on April 27. The award, sponsored by the Oregon Association of Student Councils (OASC), sets high standards for student councils and leadership programs and honors them if they can reach or exceed these goals. ...
Rainier girls claim league crown, track program notches 10 individual titles
The Rainier High School girls track and field team proved it was the top dog in the Central 2B League with a dominant performance en route to the league title on Friday, May 10, at Kalama High ...
Q&A: Commission candidate Casey Garrett
In last week’s edition, the Chronicle & Chief heard from the three candidates vying for Position 1 of the Columbia County Board of Commissioners. This week, we will hear from incumbent Casey Garrett, who currently holds Position 3 on the commission and is running unopposed in the upcoming 2024 Oregon Primary Election on May 21. The following is an interview with Commissioner Garrett about his motivation to run and some of the issues he hopes to address if reelected. ...
Back from Nationals: Rainier History Bowl JV team earns 4th place
The RJSHS History Bowl JV Team has returned from the 2024 National History Bowl and competed well, earning a fourth-place finish in the country in the Small Schools division. There are four students on the JV high school team. They qualified to attend Nationals after winning their second consecutive regional championship at the 2024 Portland Regional History Bee and Bowl. The students competed against schools from around the country at...
Scappoose-area teen, 14, heads to the Scripps National Spelling Bee
A 14-year-old girl from Scappoose-area, Rubina Wiedemer, won the Portland Regional Scripps National Spelling Bee and will be representing Oregon at the national competition in Washington D.C. later this month.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.