LATEST NEWS

Submitted by Jennifer Milliren, Communications Specialist for Wahkiakum Health and Human Services. Wahkiakum County's first-ever Tire Amnesty Day rolled in thousands of tires over the weekend. On Saturday, Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services, in partnership with Washington State Department of Ecology, hosted the free tire disposal event at the fairgrounds in Skamokawa. Residents were invited to bring as many tires as they could load, some even making several trips throughout the morning.

Last Thursday, as part of United Way's Day of Caring, some Wahkiakum students spent time outdoors cleaning up the campus, trimming hedges, edging sidewalks, and more. Some current members and at least one former member of the Wahkiakum School District Board of Directors were there as well, volunteering a few of their hours in a similar manner.

The Eagle continues to evolve. Our staff is taking on new roles and responsibilities. Diana Zimmerman continues to report on matters of interest to our readers in Wahkiakum County, but additionally has taken on the mantle of News Editor, determining the scope of each weekly issue’s reporting. At her direction, new publisher Brandon J. Simmons has taken on some writing duties; and regular readers will have noticed that business manager and photographer Ian Brandon has taken on the weekly county commissioner’s meetings.

Wahkiakum County PUD staff had a lot of good news to share with the Board of Commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday. General Manager Dan Kay said that the Washington State Public Works Board had just awarded the Wahkiakum PUD funds, half grant and half loan, to support two local projects. One will extend the water line in Skamokawa and the other will extend a water line on North Hull Creek Road.

Two comments to the letter writer in last week’s paper. First, you should not make personal comments about someone you don’t know personally. Second, just because you may not agree with, or more likely not understand, someone’s point of view in their letters to The Eagle, that doesn’t make it disinformation. That is just my opinion.

Covid is again surging across the United States, Wahkiakum Health and Human ServicesDirector Chris Bischoff said on Friday. “There is a new dominant strain, but it is not of more concern health-wise than other strains,” he said. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control have...

Commissioners from across the state were expected to arrive in Cathlamet on Thursday morning as part of a plan from the Washington State Association of Counties’ Legislative Steering Committee to give them a first hand view of the variety of concerns facing rural counties. Wahkiakum County Commissioner Lee Tischer...

Over 600 volunteers signed up to participate in United Way of Cowlitz & Wahkiakum's annual Day of Caring Thursday. The event began with an 8 a.m. rally at the Cowlitz County Fair grandstands where the Kelso High School marching ensemble performed. Brent Freeman, Wahkiakum School District superintendent and United Way board president, and volunteer and former teacher Sharon Kuroda spoke at the rally.

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Representative for Washington's 3rd District, made a couple stops in Wahkiakum County on Friday, including a visit with Port 2 officials in Skamokawa. From left to right: Port 2 Commissioner Austin Burkhalter, Port 2 Manager Sam Shogren, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez, and Bill Fashing, Director of the Cowlitz Wahkiakum Council of Governments.

Joe Baker is hoping to continue serving on the Cathlamet Town Council after being appointed to fill a vacant spot in March this year. Baker is a relatively new addition to Wahkiakum County. After retiring from a 40 year career as the theater manager for Green River College and director of a popular Heavier Than Air Family Theater Company, he and his wife moved to Cathlamet. He recently started the Columbia Street Theater Company, and hopes to put on a production of A Christmas Carol over the holidays.

Dear Readers: Let's start with the memory of September 11, 2001. Recruits into the service today may not have been born yet or may have been babies when it happened twenty-two years ago. How quickly history fades. Let us not forget those who climbed hundreds of stairs and headed into the fires and devastation. Let us always pause to pray for their families and those who lost so much. Let us remember our own first responders here in our rural area because they are all volunteers leaving their families and their jobs to come help us.

Wahkiakum County law enforcement officers and emergency response personnel handled a variety of reports during the past week, including:. September 3 — 8:15 p.m. A caller reported that two people were screaming obscenities at each other at the wildlife viewing area along SR 4 in the Elochoman Valley area. A deputy responded and spoke to the woman who was there. She said everything was fine, and no injuries were observed. The pair left the scene.

Local VFW posts will soon hold three essay competitions: the Voice of Democracy for grade 9-12; the Patriots Pen for grades 6-8; and the Youth Essay for grades 3-5. Students are invited to write essays based on given patriotic themes; the essays are evaluated by the local post. Last year, first, second, and third place winners of the essay competition were recognized with certificates and a total of $1,725 in cash awards from Wahkiakum Post 5297.

The public is invited to a POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony on Friday, September 15, at 9 a.m. at the Wahkiakum County Courthouse Flagpole. The event, hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Wahkiakum Post #5297, will pay tribute to those men and women who served in the armed forces, and to recognize the families of those still missing in action.

Wahkiakum county Commissioners met on the third floor of the courthouse to conduct the people’s business. They allowed the Wahkiakum 4-H Leaders Council to close the covered bridge and approach for a fundraising dinner during the annual Columbia River Country Days. Jail Commander Joannie Kuhlmeyer asked for permission to...

A ruling last week by the state Supreme Court extends well beyond the issue of school construction. It also highlights a growing nihilism that threatens the foundation of our society. The immediate question involves a lawsuit filed by the Wahkiakum School District in a rural county of about 4,500 residents...

The Wahkiakum School District’s lawsuit against the state to secure more funding for construction projects was rejected by the Washington State Supreme Court on Thursday morning, court documents show, after the judges decided it was not the state’s responsibility to fund these types of projects if the school district cannot pass local taxes.

Mary Hogue, a recent addition to the community and an architect who specializes in remodels, is a sunny subject for this rainy Monday. Summer was still making a spectacle of itself when I stopped by Hogue's home at Skamokawa Landing, now Viewpoint Landing, a couple weeks ago. It's a pleasant spot even when the wind kicks up a bit. But that is only natural for that particular location, where Steamboat Slough and the Columbia River come together and the breathtaking view far outweighs any negatives.

Wahkiakum County law enforcement officers and emergency response personnel handled a variety of reports during the past week, including:. August 27 - 9:40 p.m. A caller reported that he left a disabled vehicle on an Elochoman Valley road. He said he would return in the morning to fix it. 11:06 p.m. The Grays River ambulance and a deputy aided a Rosburg resident complaining of chest pain and a fast pulse. An ambulance from Naselle was requested and en route.

Wahkiakum Animal Advocate Group's Wendy Edwards (left) receives fleece pet blankets tied by children at the Cathlamet Public Library's Summer Reading Program "All Together Now - Community Connections" activity event earlier this summer, from Librarian Carol Blix (right). Courtesy photo - JoAnn Dutcher.