The Port of Columbia County is asking county commissioners to rezone more than 800 acres at Port Westward near Clatskanie for industrial uses. Environmentalists are concerned that it could lead to construction of a methanol plant that would release a vast amount of global warming gases. Wednesday, January 27th is the deadline to comment on…
Local News Archive
Clatsop County is completely out of COVID-19 vaccine and isn’t totally sure when it will be getting more. Meanwhile the county is planning mass events for when the vaccine does arrive. KMUN’s Jacob Lewin reports. Chris Laman is the incident commander for the county vaccine task force. To put it mildly, he was surprised when no…
We’re running special inauguration news coverage this morning during the time when we would normally air Gordon McCraw’s in depth local weather forecast. Here’s Gordon’s forecast for today, Wednesday, January 20, 2021.
Oregon US Senator Jeff Merkley spoke on a Zoom call with Oregon reporters after being evacuated from the Senate Chamber on Wednesday as protesters stormed the Capitol. The following is audio from the call as he described the scene and his thoughts as events unfolded.
Food Banks offer relief to hungry familes During this pandemic holiday season, food is a basic need that may be in short supply for families. I talked with a Clatsop County Food bank administrator about how people, who perhaps may never have needed help before, can access local food banks and food pantries. And for…
By Jacob Lewin The first batch of covid-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in Astoria next week. Columbia Memorial Hospital made the announcement on Monday. CMH will be getting 300 doses of the Moderna vaccine, which was shown to be 94% successful in recent studies. Pharmacy Director Chris Laman has a lot of confidence…
LOCAL NEWS: A look at high COVID rates in Pacific County Pacific County has one of the highest rates of covid infection in Washington and overall its rate is more than twice as high as that of Clatsop County. However new figures released late yesterday show infections have peaked, at least for now. KMUN’s Jacob…
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…
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…
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…
Clatsop County’s economy continued to recover last month, according to a new report from the state employment department. However the unemployment rate is still far above what it was before the pandemic. KMUN’s Jacob Lewin reports: The latest jobless numbers show Clatsop County added more than 500 private sector jobs in July, building on advances…
Continuing our series on rural internet in Clatsop County, we take a look at federal money allocated for improving rural broadband. Joanne Rideout reports. Early in the pandemic in Oregon, I spoke with US Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici about the need for better rural internet access. Bonamici represents Oregon’s First District, which includes Clatsop County. Suzanne…
Most rural Clatsop County customers don’t know it, but there’s a huge fiberoptic internet highway running through their region. They wouldn’t think so, because their own internet service is probably slow, expensive and limited. They often can’t tap into this pipeline, because companies that own it, like Centurylink, don’t think it’s worth the money to…
This past spring, the lower Columbia Pacific region became part of the wider pandemic story happening across the nation and the world. As adults and school kids retreated to their homes to avoid the COVID-19 virus, overnight the demand for internet access skyrocketed. While people in urban areas likely didn’t feel the strain, rural customers…
Oregon Governor Kate Brown and other state officials held a press conference Friday to bring people up to date on where Oregon stands on COVD-19. Joanne Rideout reports. State epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidlinger said that while infection rates are dropping overall, the statewide infection rate is still too high to allow schools to open. Statistically,…
Washington State Senate candidates to debate in online forum The Washington State Primary election will be held August 4th. Southwest Washington candidates and voters are connecting online. More from Kathleen Morgain: (:10) Note: information on how to join this forum online or by phone is at the end of the script. Script below, Scroll down…
LOCAL NEWS: Clatsop County Commission votes for mask requirement Script follows, Scroll Down to Listen [2:04] Wednesday night, the Clatsop County Commission voted unanimously during their online meeting to send a request to Governor Kate Brown asking that Clatsop be added to the list of counties statewide where face masks are required. Clatsop will become…
LOCAL NEWS: Wahkiakum Commssioners Candidates Forum – Republican and Democratic candidates make their case to voters online During a pandemic, elections go on. Wahkiakum Republicans and Democrats took the county’s first local candidates forum of the season online via Zoom. KMUN’s Kathleen Morgain has more. Script follows, Scroll Down to Listen [2:35] Link to live…
LOCAL NEWS: Astoria City Council votes to support county-wide mask requirement Script follows; Scroll Down to Listen [3:40] In their online public meeting Monday, the Astoria City Council addressed the idea of requiring masks. The council has received quite a bit of public comment recently on the topic. Mayor Bruce Jones said that while information…
LOCAL NEWS: Washington students to return to campuses this fall K through 12 students in Washington State will likely return to in-school, in-person learning this fall. KMUN’s Kathleen Morgain has more. Script follows, Scroll down to Listen [1:15] State Superintendent of Schools Chris Reykdal has released a 55 page document of guidance for the re-opening…
LOCAL NEWS: Brown declares “yellow light” statewide in reopening, after high Oregon COVID case counts Script follows, scroll down to Listen…[2:41] by Joanne Rideout Responding to high COVID-19 case counts in the state this week. Oregon governor Kate Brown said her administration has put the brakes on further reopening temporarily, while experts assess what’s…
LOCAL NEWS: Clatsop County jobless rate soars New figures from the state employment department show the jobless rate in Clatsop County soared last month surging to 24.4 percent, the second worst rate in Oregon. The drop in tourism-related jobs was the biggest factor, but not the only one. Coast Community Radio’s Jacob Lewin reports: …
LOCAL NEWS: Clatsop Community College faces shortfall Clatsop Community College is facing a covid-19-related budget shortfall of between a million and one-and-a-half million dollars. The school is figuring out how to cope with the problem, as CoastCommunity Radio’s Jacob Lewin reports: Script follows, Scroll down to Listen: Much of the budget shortfall…
LOCAL NEWS: Washington’s Wahkiakum County poise to move into Phase 3 In Washington, Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay at Home order ended yesterday (Sunday). Most of the state’s less populous counties are already in the second phase of the four phase re-opening process. One local county will soon apply to move to phase 3. KMUN’s Kathleen Morgain explains. Script…
LOCAL NEWS: Rural internet during the pandemic: never good, but now a serious problem Ever since schools and businesses closed in Oregon in March, kids and parents have embarked on a new journey – living, working and learning at home, all together, all of a sudden. Joanne Rideout takes a look at their experience, and…
LOCAL NEWS: Wahkiakum County Health Director Chris Bischoff talks about reopening Partial script below. Scroll down to Listen. [8:24] Wahkiakum County is one of ten counties in Washington granted permission to apply for a variance that would allow a faster transition to the second phase of the state’s four phase re-opening plan. To get approval,…
LOCAL NEWS: Seaside cancels July 4th fireworks The City of Seaside, Oregon, has canceled its annual Fourth of July fireworks display for this year. Money was an issue. So was the risk of having thousands of people crowded together on the beach during a pandemic. Joanne Rideout has more. Chamber of Commerce CEO Brian Owen…
LOCAL NEWS: Wahkiakum County Targets Limited Testing, Recommends Masks Script below, Scroll down to Listen: [1:45] Southwest Washington’s Wahkiakum County is targeting limited testing with telephone screening and now is recommending wearing masks while in public. Kathleen Morgain has more. The County is holding steady with two reported positive test results for COVID-19. In a briefing Friday, Health…
LOCAL NEWS: Seaside offers financial aid to residents and businesses The Seaside City Council met last night and approved financial relief measures. Joanne Rideout has more. The council approved three separate proposals to help ease the burden for residents and business owners struggling with financial issues because of COVID-19. Their first proposal is aimed at…
LOCAL NEWS: Clatsop Community College moves classes online Personnel at Clatsop Community College have been working hard to move classes online.Today, the school reopens…..virtually. Coast Community Radio’s Jacob Lewin has details: {1:47} The college extended spring break so instructors could adapt to the new online technology: “It’s been amazing. The faculty…