Local News

LOCAL NEWS: New COVID cases Clatsop County reported on Friday

LOCAL NEWS: New COVID cases Clatsop County reported on Friday The Clatsop County Public Health Department on Friday reported two new local COVID-19 cases. The cases are: Male, age 70-79, south-county resident Male, age 50-59, north-county resident Both individuals were recovering at home. The county has recorded a total of 239 COVID-19 cases since March….


COVID-19 Confirmed in 10th Wahkiakum County Resident

The Covid-19 case count in Wahkiakum County is now in the double digits,. The Health and Human Services (WHHS) department has received a positive test result notification for a 10th COVID-19 case in a county resident. In a press release the department stated: “The individual is in self-quarantine and is symptomatic. There is no known…


COVID-19 Confirmed in 9th Wahkiakum County Resident

Washington’s Wahkiakum County has a 9th confirmed case of COVID 19. Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services (WHHS) on Thursday received a positive test result notification for a Wahkiakum County resident. The individual is in self-quarantine and is symptomatic. the health department is working to identify anyone who may have an exposure risk because of…





Tillamook Online Candidates Forum Wed, Oct 14, 6pm

A Tillamook Candidates forum will take place online on Wednesday, October 14th at 6pm. The Tillamook Chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), in partnership with KMUN, Tillamook Headlight Herald, Tillamook Bay Community College, and the Pacific City-Nestucca Valley Chamber of Commerce, will host the forum via Zoom. Candidates from many of the…


LOCAL NEWS: Wheeler gets FEMA funding to alleviate storm flooding

LOCAL NEWS: Wheeler gets FEMA funding to alleviate storm flooding The Oregon coast is famous for its winter storms, which can make for a cozy getaway if you’re holed up in a beachfront hotel. But if you’ve driven much along scenic US Hwy 101, it soon becomes clear that this country road is pretty much…



North Clatsop County Candidates Forum Live 7pm, Tuesday October 6, South County 6pm, Thursday, October 8

A north Clatsop County Candidates Forum will be held live online via a Facebook live feed, also on the KMUNtv YouTube channel at 7pm, Tuesday, October 6th. The invited candidates for State Representative District 32 are Debbie Boothe-Schmidt and Suzanne Weber; For 2 seats on Astoria City Council, Ward 2 (Tom Brownson and Floyd Holcomb) and…


LOCAL NEWS: Rapid COVID testing has its limits

LOCAL NEWS: Rapid COVID testing has its limits One issue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been sufficient testing capacity. Even now, seven months in, Clatsop County press releases about new cases contain a caveat that says “in most cases testing is being limited to those with COVID-19 symptoms or individuals who are contacts of positive…


COVID-19 Confirmed in 7th Wahkiakum County Resident

Washington’s Wahkiakum County now has a 7th case of COVID-19 on record. In a press release on Monday the county’s Health and Human Services department said the person has already recovered and there are no close contacts. At this point the possibility of additional community spread from the individual is very low  


LOCAL NEWS: OHA virtual forum addresses Pacific Seafood Warrenton outbreak

LOCAL NEWS: OHA virtual forum addresses Pacific Seafood Warrenton outbreak by Joanne Rideout At a virtual town hall meeting on Friday, representatives from the Oregon Health Authority, Clatsop County, Pacific Seafood and other agencies answered the public’s questions about the recent COVID-19 outbreak at the Pacific Seafood plant in Warrenton. Joanne Rideout has more.  Read…


LOCAL NEWS: OHA will host COVID/Pacific Seafood town hall today

OHA to host town hall Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen, Clatsop County officials and Pacific Seafood Co. officials invite the public to a community town hall at 5 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 2, to discuss the recent COVID-19 outbreak at Pacific Foods. The question-and-answer town hall also will be broadcast simultaneously in Spanish and…


Slope stabilization work along WA SR 4 near Cathlamet resumes Sept. 30

Travelers who use State Route 4 near Cathlamet may experience delays as crews begin phase two of long-term slope stabilization work on KM Mountain in Wahkiakum County. On Wednesday, Sept. 30, Washington State Department of Transportation’s contractor Granite Construction Company will resume work to remove debris and stabilize the hillside adjacent to the highway, where a landslide occurred in…


Seaside Beach health advisory issued Sept. 29

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) issued a public health advisory today for higher-than-normal levels of bacteria in ocean waters at Seaside Beach in Clatsop County. People should avoid direct contact with the water in this area until the advisory is lifted. Higher-than-normal levels of fecal bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections…


FATAL HIKING INCIDENT – TILLAMOOK COUNTY

On Sunday, September 27, 2020 at approximately 1:48 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a person who fell from a cliff, into the ocean, at Devil’s Cauldron trail in Oswald West State Park. Preliminary investigation revealed two people walked down the Devil’s Cauldron trail to take a photograph at a cliff side viewpoint.  Steven Gastelum (43)…



LOCAL NEWS: Pacific Seafood and Warrenton Hammond Schools close in response to workplace COVID outbreak

LOCAL NEWS: Pacific Seafood and Warrenton Hammond Schools close in response to workplace outbreak. by Joanne Rideout Pacific Seafood in Warrenton is closed today, after 77 employees there were diagnosed with COVID-19. Warrenton Hammond Schools have also shut down in response to the workplace outbreak. Pacific Seafood General Manager John King said in a statement…


Oregon Governor and Emergency Board Offers Free Masks and Gloves to Oregon Small Businesses

Today Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced a new program to provide masks and gloves to small business in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Governor, in partnership with the Oregon Legislature’s Emergency Board, allocated $10 million from the federal CARES Act funding for the purchase of protective supplies. The state of Oregon is fulfilling…


Air quality update: Advisory lifted for Oregon Coast, smoke to remain elsewhere next couple of days

Oregon DEQ has lifted the air quality advisory for the Oregon Coast. The coast should stay clear through the weekend. Health officials encourage people to open up windows and begin clearing out their indoor air once smoke levels have dropped into moderate (yellow) and good (green) categories. Updated air advisories cover: • Western Oregon, Southwest Oregon…



REPUBLICAN STATEMENT WILL BE INCLUDED IN OREGON VOTERS PAMPHLET

 A Marion county judge has decided the Oregon Republican Party should be permitted to place its November election statement in the state voting guide although the secretary of state’s office says the party missed the deadline by seconds. Judge Channing Bennett on Monday ruled that Republican chairman Bill Currier completed his portion of the transaction…


SHOOTING IN KNAPPA DOCK ROAD

On September 13, 2020 at 2:13am Clatsop County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to Knappa Dock RD in rural Clatsop County for a reported shooting.  When deputies arrived on scene they safely took the suspect into custody without incident.  The victim, 34-year-old Jeremy Puerta, was transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital for treatment of his injuries. The…





LOCAL NEWS Washington Wildfires Thursday September 10

A massive combined smoke plume from wildfires burning in California and Oregon is moving northward. Vancouver, Washington’s air quality began being affected Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service in Seattle said the cloud of smoke and ash has been too high in the atmosphere to cause serious health effects, but predicted a mix downward will…