News
Columbian Newspaper
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May is national Chip Your Pet Month
TACOMA — Chip Your Pet Month is celebrated every May and is meant to encourage microchipping so pets can be reunited with their owners if they go missing, according to National Today. |
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Burgerville announces new investor group for future expansion
Vancouver-based fast-food chain Burgerville announced Friday it had struck a deal with a group of local investors to help open several new restaurant locations across the Pacific Northwest. |
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African farmers look to the past and the future to address climate change
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — From ancient fertilizer methods in Zimbabwe to new greenhouse technology in Somalia, farmers across the heavily agriculture-reliant African continent are looking to the past and future to respond to climate change. |
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New Seattle coach Mike Macdonald takes it all in during first day of Seahawks rookie minicamp
RENTON — Mike Macdonald bounced around. A little time with the defensive linemen. A time little with the linebackers. A time little with the offense. |
Washington State News
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D.C. United trying to build home streak against Union
(Photo credit: Hannah Foslien-USA TODAY Sports)
D.C. United will look for their first back-to-back home wins under first-year coach Troy Lesesne when the Philadelphia Union visit Washington on Saturday following rare consecutive home losses.
Oddly enough, the teams share their most recent opponent, the Seattle Sounders.
Philadelphia was badly outplayed in the first half of a 3-2 home loss Tuesday night to Seattle in the
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The Chronicle - Centralia
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Man accused of choking woman during an argument about music in Centralia 
A man accused of putting a woman into a headlock during an argument about music in Centralia is facing a felony assault charge in Lewis County Superior Court. Officers with the Centralia Police Department responded to the dispute in the 3000 block of Borst Avenue just after 2 a.m. on May 3, according to police call logs. The disagreement reportedly began as “a verbal argument over music,” which escalated when the defendant, identified as Griffin Lee Russell Sr., 31, of Chehalis, allegedly placed the woman he was arguing with “in a headlock and squeezed her neck for about six seconds,” according to court documents. Responding officers reportedly observed “red marks on (the woman’s) neck and chest.” When asked to “go outside so (officers) could speak with him,” Russell allegedly “refused” and tried to enter a different room, which reportedly had children inside. “The officers had to restrain Russell, which he resisted, to get him outside,” according to court documents. When questioned, Russell allegedly “admitted he choked (the woman) after they got into a verbal argument over music,” according to court documents. Lewis County Jail records indicate he was arrested and booked into the jail just before 2:45 a.m. on May 3. He was charged that afternoon with one count of second-degree assault, domestic violence. |
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WDFW: 'Long season of uninterrupted digging' to end with final slate of clam digs
The final seven days of coastal razor clam digs of the season will proceed as planned from May 6-12, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) coastal shellfish managers confirmed Friday. “We are excited to send off a nice long season of uninterrupted digging with a closing tide series that contains the lowest tides of the year” said Bryce Blumenthal, a WDFW coastal shellfish biologist. “Between Sept. 29, 2023, through May 12, we offered a total of 250 digs on the four beaches across 100 days.” Not all coastal beaches are open for every dig, so diggers are encouraged to make sure their intended destination is open before heading out. Optimal digging occurs between one and two hours before the listed time of low tide. Shellfish and seafood enthusiasts can also start making plans to attend the Long Beach Razor Clam Festival on May 10-11. This long-running event celebrates the unique contribution of razor clams to Washington’s culture and coastal communities. The following digs will proceed as scheduled, after marine toxin results from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) showed razor clams are safe to eat. Confirmed dates during morning (midnight to noon) low tides:
As in past years, WDFW is asking beachgoers to avoid disturbing nesting snowy plovers — a small bird with gray wings and a white breast — by staying out of the dunes and posted areas along the southwest coast. Snowy plover nests are nearly invisible, and it is vital to give birds the space to live and thrive during nesting period, especially along the southern end on Twin Harbors — known as Midway Beach — the north end of Long Beach and the area north of Ocean City on Copalis Beach., according to WDFW. WDFW asks diggers to avoid leaving leftover food or trash — which attracts predators — on the beach and picnic areas, keep pets on a leash, stay out of dunes and avoid areas which are clearly marked with posted signs. When driving on the beach, the speed limit is 25 mph, and motorists should only access the beach from marked entry points. Motorists should stay on the hard-packed sand near the high tide line to avoid crushing clam beds and snowy plover nests. Several sections of coastal beaches are closed to driving now through Labor Day, except on days and hours when the recreational razor clam digging is open. These areas are clearly marked with signs. On all open beaches, the daily limit is 15 clams per person. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container, and all diggers must keep the first 15 clams they dig, regardless of size or condition, to prevent waste. To dig razor clams, Washingtonians must have a valid 2024-2025 recreational hunting and fishing licenses. Licenses can be purchased from WDFW’s licensing website, and from hundreds of license vendors around the state. All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. WDFW plans to announce tentative digging opportunities in early fall for the 2024-2025 season via the WDFW razor clam webpage. This summer, WDFW will conduct population assessments and regularly monitor domoic acid levels, a natural marine toxin produced by certain types of marine algae, that can be harmful or fatal if consumed in sufficient quantities. More information about domoic acid, as well as current levels at ocean beaches, can be found on WDFW's domoic acid webpage and on the DOH webpage. |
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In focus: ToledoTel, county officials celebrate milestone in high-speed internet project in Winlock
Lewis County commissioners, ToledoTel staff and others gathered at KR Rentals in Winlock Friday, May 3, to celebrate the first connection for an ongoing project to expand high-speed internet access in the area. In October, officials broke ground on a joint project with ToledoTel that will bring broadband service to more than 2,300 homes and businesses in the Winlock area. The project includes 134 miles of line construction, funded through a $23.5 million grant from the Washington State Broadband Office and an additional $2.35 million matching funds from ToledoTel. Dale Merten, ToledoTel vice president and CEO, said ToledoTel did not have direct access to the grant funding needed for the project, which required Lewis County involvement. During the groundbreaking, Merten estimated that the project would be completed in October 2026. Below is a news release on Friday’s event from the Lewis County commissioners: Representatives from ToledoTel and KR Homes joined Lewis County officials, Rep. Jim Walsh and others today to mark a significant milestone in the effort to improve rural internet service: the first fiber broadband connection resulting from the Winlock Broadband Expansion project. Commissioner Scott Brummer, who had the honor of plugging in the fiber to KR Homes in Winlock, hailed the symbolic event and local leaders’ commitment to bridge the digital divide and empower communities with robust, reliable internet access. “This is a unique partnership between local government and the private sector that has brought tangible results to the people of Lewis County,” Brummer said. “I am hopeful these collaborative efforts will bring additional broadband infrastructure improvements to benefit our communities.” Commissioner Lindsey Pollock echoed his sentiments. “Broadband access brings wealth of opportunity for our future,” she said. “New modes of working, learning, and collaborating with people near and far are now accessible to the residents of Winlock. Gone are the days of spending three nights downloading small business accounting software, explaining that we can’t access video, and inability to access the full breadth of training materials available online. This project enables thousands of people to enrich their lives and reach toward a brighter future.” |
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Outreach events planned at Mount St. Helens as eruption anniversary approaches
In observance of Volcano Awareness Month, several scientists and preparedness experts will commemorate the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens during a May 18 event at the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater. The event is just one of many scheduled for May in Washington, which was designated Volcano Awareness Month after the eruption that killed 57 people, spewed 540 million tons of ash and caused more than a billion dollars in damage. “May is Volcano Awareness Month, a time we want you to not just look at Mount St. Helens, but remember we have four other active volcanoes in our state — Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, Mount Baker and Glacier Peak,” Brian Terbush, volcano program preparedness coordinator for the Washington Emergency Management Division, said in a statement. “If there’s a volcano in your backyard, it’s a perfect time to understand how its eruption might impact your life and what you can do to prepare for it!” The May 18 event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater, located at milepost 43 on state Route 504, also known as the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. For those unable to attend, volcano experts will tweet a screening of the movie “Skyfire” at 7 p.m. on May 8 through the @waShakeOut and @USGSVolcanoes accounts. “Starring Jason Isaacs, everything goes wrong at a theme park built on a volcano when the danger of the volcano is underestimated — basically, Jurassic Park but with a volcano instead of dinosaurs,” the Washington Emergency Management Division said in a description of the movie. The movie is available to stream for free on Amazon Prime with ads or to rent on Prime or YouTube. From 7 to 8:30 p.m. on May 16, the Washington state Emergency Management Division will host a Reddit Ask-Me-Anything through the account reddit.com/user/waquakeprepare/. On May 22, Cascades Volcano Observatory Scientist-in-Charge Jon Major will give a presentation titled “Lava, Mudflows and Ash: Volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest” at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland. The event will run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and tickets cost $25. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/yznbk85h. |
NYT Politics
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Biden’s Stance on Marijuana Has a Political Upside, Allies Say
The president’s allies say the Justice Department’s chill take on marijuana has a political upside.
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