LATEST NEWS

Pacific County implemented summer ban on outdoor debris burning on July 13. It lasts until further notice. Contact your local fire district for more information and also the Washington State Department of Natural Resources for updates on burn restrictions at 1-800-323-BURN or visit their website at www.dnr.wa.gov/burn-restrictions. You can also contact ORCAA at 1-800-422-5623 or visit their website at www.orcaa.org.

Fourth of July 2024 is going down as one of the most hectic in years on the Long Beach Peninsula, with many thousands flocking to the beach for what amounted to a four-day weekend. Law enforcement took the brunt of what is being described as “chaos.”. Pacific County Fire...

Last week the Chinook Observer had an excellent article about electric vehicle (EV) rechargers. Level 1 and Level 2 rechargers are used by residences, hotels and business where the user is amenable to a 2-to-3-hour recharging time. Level 3 chargers can recharge an EV in 30 minutes, but also consume a lot of power and are typically located along well travelled highways.

In less than a month we will have the opportunity to vote in the primary election. Primary elections provide us with the opportunity to select the best candidates to move forward to the general election in November. As Pacific County residents we are incredibly lucky to have one of our...

SOUTH BEND — The two stop action items for the June 25 Pacific County Board of County Commissioners meeting came down to a deal within reach to resupply Surfside with a deputy and the county forgoing project funds for a bridge. After reaching an agreement with the Pacific County...

The WSU Master Gardeners of Grays Harbor and Pacific counties will be welcoming patrons during their 26th annual garden tour and plant sale, on Saturday, July 20, in Pacific County. Seven locations in north Pacific County will be in bloom highlighting this year’s theme, “Pacific Garden Gems.” City, pastoral and bayside locations of gardens from Raymond to Bay Center will be available for touring from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

LONG BEACH — The number of Pacific County houses and condos available to buy continued to swell in June as completed and pending sales declined, according to statistics provided by Northwest Multiple Listing Service. There were 224 houses for sale in the county as the month ended, 30% more...

PACIFIC COUNTY — The annual Sandsations festival will run July 10-14 at the Bolstad Avenue Beach Approach in Long Beach. Activities begin Wednesday, July 10, with construction of sand sculptures with vendors and face-painting and continue Thursday and Friday. Main events will be Saturday, July 13, including sandcastle judging, a beer garden from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and live music from Fred Carter, Joel Underwood and Daryl Beau. The marina mermaid will appear from noon to 5 p.m. Vendors and face-painting continue on the final day, Sunda,y July 14.

SOUTH BEND — The following cases saw significant progress during the criminal docket of the Pacific County Superior Court on July 5, 2024:. Cress D. Galvan, 32 — He was the driver in a fatal crash on Sandridge Road on March 29, 2023 that took the life of Molly Fay. The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office investigated the crash and discovered drug paraphernalia at the scene and suspected Cress had been under the influence.

There’s scarcely a Peninsula resident who was “of an age” in the 1970s and ‘80s who doesn’t have a story about the indomitable proprietor of Mary Lou’s Tavern in Long Beach, Mary Lou Mandel. She was one of a kind, no doubt about it!

During the Fire District’s regular Monday evening meeting on July 1, Cliff Kilponen was surprised when the dispatcher toned out his number and announced that as of today, Cliff Kilponen has served as a member of Pacific County Fire District 4 for 50 years. “I knew it had been somewhere around that long,” said Kilponen, “but I thought the anniversary was later in the year.” Assistant Fire Chief Nate Engleson had researched the department’s record books and found the entry where, on July 1, 1974, the motion had been made and approved to accept Kilponen as a member of Fire District 4. Successfully keeping Kilponen in the dark, his fellow firefighters and EMT’s planned a celebration to recognize and honor such an amazing record of voluntary service to his county and his community.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has awarded $1.5 million in Local Food System Infrastructure Grants to support local food system infrastructure, supply chains, and market access for farms, food processors, food distributors, and meat processors. WSDA funded a total of 40 projects that strengthen linkages along the regional...

The Pacific County Emergency Management Agency was previously granted a $103,000.00 Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) to develop a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. They said that the grant and the planning process are a continuation of a process that began 4 years ago to develop a plan to address an ever-increasing threat from wildfire across Pacific County.

PACIFIC COUNTY — The time is now to prepare for potential excessive heat this weekend when temperatures are predicted to reach the 90s for inland areas of the county. The Long Beach Peninsula currently looks to be a safe haven, with daytime highs staying in the 70s. So far,...

SOUTH BEND — The Pacific County 911 Dispatch Center (PacCom) Administrative Board swiftly selected an interim director last week. The board was left scrambling after David Houseberg, who was picked to be the new director, bowed out at the last minute. Eleven applicants vied for the coveted role, which...

The federal government has put funding for the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Plan (NTHMP) on the chopping block. It would affect millions of dollars in state and local programs. Pacific County, along with counties along the Pacific Coast, are scrambling to stop the cuts. In Washington, the funding is primarily...

PACIFIC COUNTY — Graduate students with the University of Washington’s architecture and urban planning school have made recommendations and identified potential locations for Pacific County to build up its electric vehicle charging infrastructure to meet future — and existing — demand in a report released last month.

Washington and other coastal states increasingly share a vexing problem with marine toxins that shut down harvests and put human health at risk. Pacific County beaches were closed to shellfish harvests in May because of elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), also misleadingly known as red tide — it usually isn’t red. More importantly in what isn’t sport clamming season, the PSP outbreak continues to disrupt some commercial oyster and clam harvesting in Willapa Bay.

The local unemployment rate dipped below 6% in May for the first time since last September, according to data released last week by the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD). Preliminary monthly figures from the state agency pegged Pacific County’s jobless rate at 5.9% in May, a slight decrease from...

LONG BEACH PENINSULA — With Fourth of July festivities taking hold up and down the peninsula this week, fireworks — and when and where they are allowed — are yet again at the front of mind. BANS: Consumer fireworks are banned within the city limits of Long Beach and Ilwaco, and within the boundaries of Surfside Homeowners Association. The discharge of fireworks is illegal on all state park lands, including beaches in front of Washington state parks, as well as forests and wildlife reserves. Overnight beach camping is also prohibited. PROFESSIONAL SHOWS: Long Beach’s ban carves out exceptions for the city’s professional Fourth of July fireworks show, which is staged on the beach the evening of July 4. A professional show is also held at the Port of Ilwaco on the first Saturday in July, which falls on July 6 this year. SALES: The sale of fireworks is allowed July 1-4 in the unincorporated areas of Pacific County, while fireworks use is permitted from July 2-4. Fireworks can be used from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 2-3, and from 9 a.m. to midnight on July 4 itself. ALLOWED: Fireworks use is allowed on the peninsula’s ocean beaches from July 2-4 in accordance with county rules, but Washington State Parks stressed they must be discharged at least 150 feet from dunes and submerged in water before being thrown away. TIDES: High tides of 8.3 feet at 11:13 p.m. July 3 and 8.2 feet at midnight July 4 may serve as natural limits to revelry on the beach. Motorists should exercise caution, as the limited exits via beach approaches tend to become jammed as festivities wind down.