Klog

A temporary restraining order has been issued to stop the inaugural shipment of trash from Honolulu to Washington state. A federal judge questioned whether the U.S. Department of Agriculture had adequately assessed the environmental impacts of the planned shipments. Robert Harris is with the Sierra Club in Hawaii, and his group says that there hasn’t been an adequate review to make sure pests aren’t being brought along with the trash. Several groups are involved in the suit against the USDA and the agreement for Hawaiian Waste Systems of Seattle, including the Yakama Indian Nation. The first shipment was scheduled to leave Hawaii today, but this latest legal setback could spell the end of the effort to ship waste from Hawaii to Washington. It will be at least a month before a hearing is held on the temporary restraining order, and Hawaiian Waste is already in a tough position, facing a fine of more than a million dollars if they haven’t shipped 100,000 tons of trash by September of this year. It’s clear that threshold will not be met. It was planned that the trash would be transferred from water transport to ground transport at the Port of Longview. Obviously, those plans are in limbo until the hearing on the restraining order, which is currently set for August 30th in Yakima.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office now says that the body found yesterday in Riffe Lake may be that of a many who was wanted in Colorado on a murder charge. Commander Steve Aust says that a recreational boater found the badly-decomposed body at about 6 pm yesterday. A further examination of the area turned up a backpack next to the body, containing the ID of a 49 year-old man from Denver. Further checking shows that the man’s car was found at the Blue Lake Campground near Randle back on April 26th, but the man was never found. The car was impounded. Authorities in Denver say that the man was wanted in connection with the murder of his girlfriend in March of this year. Lewis County authorities are still working to confirm the man’s identity.

After a number of quarterly reports written in red ink, Weyerhaeuser reported a profit in the second quarter of 2010, reporting that sales were up in all segments of the company. Second-quarter net income is reported at $14 million, compared to a loss of $106 million in the same period last year. Excluding debt repayment charges, a gain from a unit sale and several other one-time items, Weyco posted a profit of 20 cents per share. Analysts had predicted 14 cents a share. Revenue was up by 30 percent, to $1.81 billion. The street had been predicting $1.68 billion. CEO Dan Fulton says that the company has returned to profitability, and all businesses were “cash-positive” from operations. He says that the conversion to a Real Estate Investment Trust will help to benefit the bottom line, and they also expect break-even results in the home-building segment in the third quarter.

Longview Police and fire crews responded to the Cowlitz River, across from the Three Rivers Golf Course in Kelso, after it was reported that a group of swimmers might be in trouble. A resident of one of the condos across from the golf course called 911 at about 4:40 yesterday afternoon, reporting that a group of three teens was trying to swim across the river, and at least one was having trouble in the water. The caller reported that one seemed to be stranded in the middle of the river, but by the time police and firefighters arrived, all three teens were on the Longview side of the river, along with a dog. It was confirmed that all three weren’t hurt or in distress, then Longview Police helped get the trio and their dog back to the Kelso side of the river.

A statewide tour of business and property interests is making stops in Longview and Woodland today. The event is being billed as a “Pep Talk,” sharing what they say is “good news” about issues and candidates that are on the ballot this fall. Groups involved in the “Pep Talk” include Americans for Prosperity, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Washington Farm Bureau, the Washington Retail Association and the Building Industry Association. The “Pep Talk” events are scheduled for noon in the old Fabricland store at 840 Ocean Beach Highway in Longview, and at 3 pm at the Oak Tree Restaurant in Woodland.

Primary election ballots go out in the mail today from Cowlitz County Elections, and should be in your mailbox over the next few days. Voters will be selecting finalists for the general election in November, with the “top two” votegetters in each race moving on from the primary to the general election. There are a number of hotly-contested races on the ballot, including the race for the U. S. Senate seat currently held by Patty Murray, and the crowded race for the Third District U. S. House seat that Brian Baird is vacating. There’s also a full field for the 18th District State House seat that Jaime Herrera is leaving, as she makes a run for that Congressional position. A number of other races will appear on the ballot, but won’t actually be decided until the general election in November. The Castle Rock Library Bond is on this ballot, along with a Vancouver Regional Library measure in the Woodland area. Ballots must be returned by 8 pm on Tuesday, August 17th to be counted. They can be mailed until Monday, August 16th, or drop-off sites are being set up in Kelso, Longview, Woodland, Castle Rock and Kalama. If you have questions, or if your ballot doesn’t arrive, contact Cowlitz County Elections at 577-3005, or check their website.

Cowlitz County Assessor Terry McLaughlin says that the annual “Notice of Value” statements are going out to Cowlitz County property owners today. He says that these notices will inform the owners of the assessed value that’s being used for assessing property taxes in 2011. McLaughlin says that state law only requires that notices be sent to property owners whose assessed valuations have changed, but in an effort to better communicate with taxpayers, notices are going out to all property owners this year, with a few exceptions. If you have questions about your valuation, you can visit the Assessor’s Office Monday through Thursday from 8 am to 5pm, or call them at 577-3010. If you don’t agree with the valuation, an appeal can be filed with the Cowlitz County Board of Equalization, but there’s a 30-day limit from the Notice of Value mailing to file that appeal. More information on property taxes and the appeal process is also available on the state Department of Revenue website.

Once again, if you’re heading into Portland this weekend, you’ll need to know about some freeway work that might alter your travel plans. The Oregon Department of Transportation says that they have to replace a barrier on the Marquam Bridge that’s been hit several times in recent months, so I-5 northbound over the bridge will be closed from 10 pm tonight until 6 am tomorrow morning. Traffic will be detoured onto I-405. In addition, there’s also a closure of the off-ramp that links I-205 to I-84, a closure that will run from 9:30 tonight until 7 am tomorrow morning. Again, detours will be posted.

As the Red Cross building on 14th Avenue is finally sold off, the agency is holding a “garage sale” today. Suzanne Arnits with the Southwest Washington chapter of the American Red Cross says that they’re now looking to downsize the Longview office, and they’ll be selling off miscellaneous office furniture and supplies. She says that they’ll have tables, chairs, desks, bookcases, microwave ovens and other items for sale. Hours are 9 am to 3 pm today. Call 423-7880, extension 127 for more information.

Friday:
The “Bart’s Reunion” and Blues Brothers Revue by Dave and Matt Koenig is set for Friday night, starting at 8 am. Cover charge is $10 per person.

Saturday:
The 8th annual Mother and Son Outdoor Adventure starts at 11 am Saturday at Martin’s Dock at Lake Sacajawea, put on by Longview Parks and J. H. Kelly. Pre-register on the Longview Parks website.

The 16th annual Clatskanie Community-Wide Garage Sale is on Saturday, with maps of the homes taking part available at Hump’s Restaurant and Windermere/St. Helens Real Estate in Clatskanie.

You can also head down to the Clatskanie City Park for the 4th annual “Rhythm on the River” Blues Festival, with five separate bands performing, headlined by Portland blues legend Curtis Salgado. Things get started at noon, and admission is free.

There’s a UKC All-Breeds Dog Show on Saturday at the Castle Rock Fairgrounds, running from 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is free.

The 2nd annual Toutle Lake High School Multi-Year Class Reunion is set for Saturday at Harry Gardner Park near Toutle. This year’s event is open to the classes from 1960 to 1985, and will run from 10 am to 4 pm.

The King Brothers and The Hitmen will perform in a Relay for Life benefit that starts at 6 pm Saturday night at the Longview Eagles lodge, located at 1526 12th Avenue in Longview.

Kalama’s Weekend Market continues on Saturday and Sunday, and runs through August. Hours in downtown Kalama are 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday, with all kinds of fresh food, crafts, collectables and other wares available for purchase.

The Cowlitz Community Farmer’s Market continues this weekend, running into October. They’ll have fresh produce, plants, crafts, baked goods, eggs, live entertainment, and other fun. Hours are 9 am until 2 pm on Saturday. The Market is back in its old location on the west side of 7th Avenue, across from the Expo Center Horse Arena.

The Rainier Marina Market continues on Saturday in downtown Rainier, and will run through December 19th. They’ll have produce, herbs, plants, hand-crafted garden furniture, clothing, soaps, jewelry and other specialty items for sale. The Rainier Marina Market is located at 115 East A in Rainier, next to the Bank of America.

Sunday:
The Kelso Bridge Market runs each Sunday through October, at a new venue in West Kelso. The Bridge Market will now be located on the lawn next to the Catlin Rotary Spray Park on Northwest 8th Avenue. Hours are 10 am until 3 pm each Sunday through October.