Klog

The folks at the Dyno Nobel chemical plant near St. Helens put a call into Cowlitz County yesterday afternoon, reporting that they’d had a release of ammonia into the air. The call came in around 3:20 pm, with the plant’s operators saying that they’d discovered a leak in a flange, which then allowed the release into the air. It’s not known how much material was released into the atmosphere, but there were no reports of adverse impact or odor anywhere around in the area. Repairs were made to the leaking flange, and the company is looking into the reason for that failure.

Share this:

Starting at 9 am today, would-be candidates will be able to make their intentions official, as the 2012 Candidate Filing period opens. In this area, voters will be helping to choose a senator and both representatives in the 19th Legislative District, and after the recent redistricting, voters in a large swath of the county will be voting in the 20th District for the first time. At least one new County Commissioner will be chosen, as George Raiter is announcing that he doesn’t plan to run for a fourth term. He represents the Commission District 2, covering the Longview metro area, while Mike Karnofski does plan to run for a full term in Commissioner District 1, which covers Kelso and the southern part of the county. All four Superior Court Judge positions are on the ballot, as is District Court Judge Ron Marshall. He’s running to fill the unexpired term on District Court position 3. There’s also one Cowlitz PUD Commission seat on this year’s ballot, the District 2 seat that’s currently held by Mark McCrady. Candidates can file on-line or in person at the Cowlitz County Auditor’s Office. Filing closes at the end of business on Friday.

Share this:

Students at Lower Columbia College and other public institutions of higher education in Washington are going to have to try and track down some additional financial aid in the coming school year, as state officials announce across-the-board tuition increases. Late last week, the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges approved a 13-percent tuition increase for full-time students, starting in the 2012-2013 school year. At the current time, a full load of 15 credits costs $3,813; that will rise to $4,271 in September. LCC officials say that this will probably increase summer session enrollment, as students will still be able to take advantage of the 2011-2012 tuition rates. The tuition is also going up at Washington’s public four-year institutions, including rate hikes of eleven percent at Eastern Washington University, 14 percent at Central, 16 percent at Western Washington, and 14 percent at the Evergreen State College. The University of Washington is expected to increase tuition by 16 percent next month. The increases come as the Washington Legislature continues to cut state support for Washington’s public colleges and universities.

Share this:

Starting at 8 o’clock this morning, West Side Highway will close about two miles south of Castle Rock, as work begins to clear out brush that overhangs power lines and the highway in that area. The Department of Transportation is teaming up with the Cowlitz PUD on this project, which is expected to run through Friday. The highway will be closed from 8 am to 4 pm each day. A detour will be posted, using Hazel Dell Road and Delameter Road. WashDOT says that this will add about two miles to the trip, so you should budget some extra time if you’re planning on using this route. I-5 is advised as the preferred alternate route.

Share this:

Community groups, vendors and food sellers who plan to take part in this year’s Ethnic Support Council International Festival need to get their registrations in by the close of business today. This year’s International Festival is the 22nd annual, and will take plans on Saturday, June 2nd at Lower Columbia College. Organizer Cindy Lopez Werth says that the free family event is held each year to celebrate the community’s growing diversity, bringing together multicultural entertainment, children’s activities, ethnic food booths, “world market” vendors and community information tables. Today is the hard deadline to get signed up for this year’s event. If you’d like more information on registration, contact Cindy Lopez Werth at 451-4427, or you can sign up at the Ethnic Support Council office, which is located in downtown Kelso at 311 Oak Street. They’ll be open from 9 am to 5 pm today.

Share this:

Local food banks will benefit to the tune of more than 41 thousand pounds of food that was collected in Saturday’s “Stamp Out Hunger” Letter Carriers Food Drive. The final total came in at 41,570 pounds, down a bit from last year’s total of 47,580 pounds. All of the food collected goes to the Help Food Warehouse, which will then distribute that food to the food banks operated by charities around the area. Lois Shelton with the Help Food Warehouse says that even though the total amount of donations was down a bit, they’re still very excited by the way people stepped up, and she says that this collection will help keep the food banks stocked deep into this summer.

Share this:

Washington state’s worst outbreak of whooping cough in decades has prompted health officials to declare an epidemic. State officials are seeking help from federal disease experts and are urging residents to get vaccinated amid worry that the number of cases is likely to spike. Washington has had 10 times the cases reported in 2011, and Cowlitz County is right in there with the rest of the state. The Cowlitz County Health Department reports 52 cases so far this year, including ten new cases in the past two weeks. Last year, Cowlitz County had a total of 71 cases. Health Department officials are working to set up a series of vaccination clinics around the county; those under the age of 19 will get the shots for free, and only a nominal fee will be charged to adults. Health officials remind all adults that the vaccination they received as kids is no longer effective. A booster called Tdap will be made available to those who haven’t been recently vaccinated. Find out more by contacting the Cowlitz County Health Department at 414-5599.

Share this:

Just one week prior to the 32nd anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the roads to the mountain are re-opening, and visitor centers are preparing for the summer season. The Washington Department of Transportation says that the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway will re-open all the way to the Johnston Ridge Volcano Observatory, starting at 8 am tomorrow. WashDOT officials say crews have been working since the middle of last month to clear the nearly 20 feet of snow that fell on the highway this winter. This weekend also marks the re-opening of the building at Coldwater Ridge, which will now be called the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater. Using $700,000 in federal stimulus dollars, the building has been refurbished, and will now serve as a base of operations for half-day or multi-day programs that will be coordinated through the Mount St. Helens Institute. The Institute will be up at Johnston Ridge on Saturday, hosting its annual “It’s a Blast” event, running from 10 am to 5 pm tomorrow. They’ll have kids’ events, guided hikes, ranger talks and other activities. All ages are welcome, but it will cost $8 per person to get in. Johnston Ridge will then open for the 2012 season on Sunday. The Weyerhaeuser Forest Learning Center actually opens its 2012 season today. Through June 10th, the Forest Learning Center will open from 10 am to 4 pm, Friday through Sunday, then from June 15th to September 3rd, the FLC will open during the same hours, Friday through Monday. Outdoor facilities, restrooms and the Gift Shop will be open until 6 pm, seven days a week. Admission to the Forest Learning Center is free. Cowlitz County’s Hoffstadt Bluffs is also open, with the Fire Mountain Grill hosting its annual Mothers Day brunch on Sunday. Call 274-5217 for reservation information.

Share this:

Oregon State Police continue to investigate a fatal one-car crash that took place yesterday afternoon on Highway 47 south of Vernonia. At about 2:40 pm, a car driven by Rhoda Laura Buckner, 74, of Vernonia went off the road and hit a tree. Troopers say that Buckner was northbound at milepost 66, when for unknown reasons, her 1995 Honda Accord drifted off the road and went head-on into the tree. They say that she was wearing a seat belt, and her airbags deployed, but she was declared dead at the scene. The highway was closed for about three hours after the collision.

Share this:

3rd Avenue in Longview was closed for about an hour yesterday afternoon at the intersection with Industrial Way and California Way, following a multi-car collision that took place just after 1 pm. The driver of a Subaru called 911, reporting that they’d been rear-ended by a log truck. Longview Police and aid crews responded, and actually found that one log truck had side-swiped another log truck before colliding with the Subaru. The driver of the Subaru was taken to the hospital, after complaining of neck pain. It took about an hour to get the damaged truck and the wrecked car removed from the scene, with the road re-opening at about 2. At this point, no citations have been reported, but the crash investigation is continuing.

Share this: