Columbus
Columbia County Spotlight
Charles Fred Samples
1938–2024 - Charles Fred Samples of Scappoose, Oregon, passed away unexpectedly on May 18, 2024, at the age of 85. Fred was born on November 28, 1938, to Charles E. Samples and Agnes I. Kolcz. Raised in Raymond, WA, he worked in his parents' service station as a teen. His time there taught him the value of hard work and the importance of keeping your word. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1960 with a degree in business administration. The bulk of Fred's career was spent as a commercial loan officer at US Bank. His financial acumen was...
Hops take the first of their six-game series with Spokane, 8-6
For the sixth time in seven tries, the Hops defeated league-leading Spokane, this time defeating the home Indians 8-6 in the first game of their six-game series on Tuesday, June 4, at Avista Stadium in Spokane. With the win, Hillsboro (25-25) pulled within three games of the Indians in the Northwest League standings. Andrew Pintar’s bases-clearing double in the eighth inning opened the game up for the Hops. ...
Our TV picks for Thursday, June 6: Saving Private Ryan; 2024 NBA Finals; D-Day: The Unheard Tapes
Saving Private Ryan TCM 5 p.m. When three brothers are killed in combat during World War II, Capt. John Miller (Tom Hanks) leads his men behind enemy lines to find Pvt. James Ryan (Matt Damon), the fourth and last-remaining brother. Part of TCM’s 80th anniversary of D-Day programming. 2024 NBA Finals ...
Legislators start statewide tour on transportation needs and funding
As legislators begin to consider Oregon’s next multibillion-dollar transportation funding plan, how road maintenance and driver services are funded may overshadow what highway, bridge and other projects are included. Members of the Joint Committee on Transportation heard plenty of comments on both aspects during the first of 12 planned hearings across the state over the next four months. The first one was June 4 at the Cascades campus of Portland Community College. The final hearings are Sept. 26 in Happy Valley and Sept. 27 in...
Banks-Vernonia State Trail garners national recognition
A trail just outside of Forest Grove was recently added to the country’s network of more than 1,300 national recreation trails. The 21-mile Banks-Vernonia State Trail was designated as a national recreation trail by the U.S. Department of the Interior on Friday, May 31, along with three other trails in Texas, Utah and West Virginia. “These four new national trails will build connections in communities, ensuring bikers, hikers and all...
Kaiser Liberty Ship presentation set for 80th D-Day anniversary
Built by thousands of civilians in Henry Kaiser’s Portland shipyards, Liberty ships made significant contributions in World War II. The workforce of more than 100,000 was able to efficiently build ships that helped secure the United States’ victory on D-Day, and on the 80th anniversary Thursday, June 6, Columbia County residents have an opportunity to learn more about their efforts. Peter Marsh, Astoria resident and author of “Liberty Factory: The...
Oregon lags most states in public higher education funding, report finds
The Oregon Legislature continues to spend far less on higher education than other states, according to a new report, leading to some of the highest costs of attendance among universities in the West. Oregon is ranked 44th in the nation for public funding of higher education and 37th in the nation for per-pupil funding, according to the latest annual State Higher Education Finance report from the Colorado-based State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission is a member of the association. ...
Evanson: The PGA Tour's Grayson Murray is gone, but why he's gone shouldn't be forgotten
Grayson Murray is no longer with us. The 30-year-old PGA Tour player committed suicide on May 25, a day after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Challenge and less than five months removed from his second win on tour and his first since putting his bouts with depression, anxiety and alcoholism on display for all to see. But while admitting and fully acknowledging a problem or problems is typically the first...
Water resources director is confirmed by a split Oregon Senate
The Oregon Department of Water Resources finally has a permanent director after more than 18 months, but it took a divided Oregon Senate to confirm Ivan Gall, a veteran of more than 25 years at the agency. Gov. Tina Kotek’s nomination of Gall was approved May 31 on a 17-10 party-line vote, all Democrats voting for it and all Republicans against it. Three Republicans were not present. Gall has been...
OPINION: Solving homeless crisis starts with support, housing — not jail
Everybody, regardless of income, needs a safe home to build stable lives — from getting a job to creating a safe space for our children to grow up in. But high costs and inequality continue to drive our houselessness crisis and Portlanders’ patience is wearing thin. We all want solutions, but let’s be clear: Camping bans do not solve houselessness, support services and housing do. Portland City Council recently unanimously passed an ordinance that bans public camping if “reasonable alternate shelter” is available. Under the...
WRITERS ON THE RANGE: In small towns, bookstores are thriving
“I love to spend my day in a bookstore,” said Amy Sweet. She lives in Red Lodge, Montana, and was explaining why she and her husband, Brian, opened Beartooth Books in her town of 2,300. “It was part of the life we wanted — to live in a small town, walk to work, and enjoy outdoor adventures and wonderful people.” She’s not alone. For many of the same reasons, bookstores...
Grant money to give helping hand to Columbia County's transportation plans
To help develop transportation improvement plans and boost public safety, $180,000 will be flowing to Columbia County. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley helped in securing the funds, which came from the federal Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Planning grant program. The senators announced that $480,000 will go to neighboring Clatsop County for similar distribution. ...
Our TV picks for Wednesday, June 5: Chef Gordon Ramsay as seen in “MasterChef”; My 600-Lb. Life: Where Are They Now?; Killer Cases
MasterChef KPTV 8 p.m. Ain’t nothin’ but a generational thing as our talented home chefs come from four different generations: Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers. While their definitions of good taste may differ, Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich won’t. My 600-Lb. Life: Where Are They Now? ...
Sen. Lieber will lead budget panel, quits as majority leader
Sen. Elizabeth Steiner of Portland is out, and Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber of Beaverton is in, as Senate co-leader of the Oregon Legislature’s joint budget committee. The panel is officially the Joint Ways and Means Committee, which has an equal number of members from both chambers, writes the two-year state budget and proposes changes. When the Legislature is between sessions, budget decisions fall to the Emergency Board, which is...
Full statements by Senate President Wagner and Sens. Steiner and Lieber
Statement from Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, outgoing Senate co-chair of the Oregon Legislature’s joint budget committee: "It has been an honor to serve in this critical role to ensure that state revenues go toward the maximum benefit for all Oregonians. I've held this position through historic surpluses and historic deficits, times of extreme uncertainty and times when hard decisions needed to be made. Through it all my focus has been on finding fiscally responsible ways to help as many Oregonians as possible. ...
Meet the four candidates for Scappoose city manager
Four candidates are up to become the new Scappoose city manager, and residents are invited to meet them next week. From 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, the city will host a meet and greet with the candidates at Scappoose High School. The four finalists were chosen after a nationwide search to find someone to fill the role vacated by former city manager Alexandra Rains, who left in January to serve...
Mae Yih, longest serving woman in the Oregon Legislature, returns
Mae Yih, the longest serving woman in the Oregon Legislature and the first Chinese woman elected to a state legislature in the United States, returned to the Oregon Capitol last week to say a few words. Yih turned 96 on May 24. She was born in Shanghai in 1928 and came to the United States as a college student in 1948. After moving to Oregon and serving on Albany school boards, she was elected to the Oregon House in 1976 and to the Oregon Senate...
Hops Weekly: Hops win series with help from Mother Nature
Hillsboro is getting good at going from feast to famine. For the second straight week the home Hops have won the first three of their six game home sets, only to lose the remainder of the series’ games—along with the potential momentum generated from them. In all, Hillsboro won three of the five games played against the visiting Ems, with the last of the scheduled six games being postponed due...
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