Shooting suspects charged with murder
Local named ‘TOPS King’ PAGE A10
PAGE A2
Wednesday, August 21, 2024 | Columbia County, Oregon
$2.00
Dog death may be caused by algae bloom Abuse
allegations surface at Vault Elite
WILL LOHRE
Country Media, Inc.
A local veterinary hospital is warning pet owners to keep their animals out of the Columbia River following the death of a dog which may have been caused by a toxic algae bloom. Midway Veterinary Hospital in Warren, between St. Helens and Scappoose, released their warning in a Facebook post on Aug. 9. saying that they had been “made aware of one canine death so far.” Sadly, that dog was named “Jax,” and he belonged to Tanya Bachman and her family. Tanya and her family experienced a tragic loss when Jax passed away following a day trip to Sand Island in the Columbia River near St. Helens. Bachman and her family believe the cause of death was toxic algae. “He swam on the north point for approximately 15 minutes then returned to our boat for a rest. We went back out for another 15 minutes and he began to display signs of being sick,” Bachman said. “His tail was tucked, and he pooped in the water, then had diarrhea on the sand. He walked a few more steps then threw up. Within moments, he went into shock, his eyes dilated, and he was rigid (paralysis).” Bachman said the deterioration of Jax’s health set on rapidly, and the symptoms all arose within the span of about ten minutes. Though they rushed to get Jax back to the shore and to veterinary care, he suffered a “seizure and became unconscious.” He never regained consciousness, and Jax passed away in the back of the Bachman’s car en route to emergency care. From when Jax began showing symptoms to when he passed away, only about an hour had passed. About algae blooms Oregon Health Authority Lead
WILL LOHRE
Country Media, Inc.
Courtesy photo from Tanya Bachman
A local family lost their dog Jax after he swam in the Columbia River near Sand Island in St. Helens.
Communications Officer Jonathan Modie said the agency is investigating a dog death that occurred Aug. 4 and explained more about algae blooms and the risks they present.
“People commonly refer to cyanobacteria as blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria are naturally occurring, single-celled bacteria found in both fresh and marine waters
around the globe,” Modie said. “Colonies we call blooms can occur in any water body under conditions See BLOOM, Page A2
City, chamber complete paving project WILL LOHRE
Country Media, Inc.
Folks may have noticed things are smoother as they travel through City Park in Clatskanie, and the improvements result from the city and other community partners’ commitment to making some positive changes around downtown. The project was completed in early August, including paving and American with Disabilities (ADA) compliance measures at Clatskanie City Park. The work is part of the Clatskanie Downtown Accessibility Project, supported by the Clatskanie Chamber of Commerce and the City of Clatskanie. Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkelman said the city repaved a portion of Park Street from the bridge to 5th Street. “It turned out really good,” Hinkelman said. Clatskanie Chamber President Sarah Johnson said the paving project was part of the Travel Oregon Grant Funds obtained by the Chamber and community volunteers to improve Clatskanie’s navigability and safety for those with mobility and health challenges. “This project is in partnership with the City of Clatskanie to improve the ADA compliance in our downtown area. The gravel around the city park restrooms made it very difficult for those in wheelchairs or other mobility restrictions to cross from the parking area into the restrooms. The paving was the perfect solution to create a handicap parking spot and pave over the gravel obstructions,” Johnson
said. “Having better ADA compliance and improving our downtown public restroom accessibility was a priority for ease of use for our community and for tourism to the City of Clatskanie.” Johnson said that the City Park is “the main event venue in our area” and must be accessible to all citizens. Along with the paving around the restrooms, the road was widened through the park to improve safety for pedestrians and those with mobility challenges. The project was in part funded by $24,000 in Travel Oregon grant funds that the chamber secured, as well as funds from the city’s capital improvement project fund. Hinkelman said the project cost about $93,000 in total. “We put a significant amount of money into it. And it was needed,” Hinkelman said. “That small stretch of road has been in not the greatest shape for quite some time. It was about time that patch of road got redone.” In addition to the paving done to increase accessibility to both the bridge and restrooms, Hinkelman also said the city has put in speed bumps because sometimes people “run through that park at a good clip.” Hinkelman said the coordination with the chamber fell in line with the grant that the chamber and local partners secured, so they designated city funds to ensure that “if we’re were going to do it, let’s do it right.” The Clatskanie Chamber thanked the city for its involve-
IN THIS ISSUE Police Reports .............. A3 Opinion .......................... A4 Obituaries ...................... A5 Market ............................ A6 Public Notices ............ A6-8 Games & Puzzles .......... A9 Sports .......................... A10 Crossword .................... A10
Courtesy photo
The new pavement around the bathroom in City Park.
ment in a Facebook post Aug. 1 and thanked the agencies and companies that made it possible. “The city went above and beyond to add more to this project — including extending the pavement portion to around the pool, painting, and added ramps to the backside of the bridge nearest to bathroom. Thank you City Manager Greg Hinkleman, Mayor Bob, the council, the Parks & Rec committee, Dave Minor, and the city public works crew for your investment and partnership. Additionally, thank you Mike George Paving for the beautiful work done,” the post stated.
Future projects The grant from Tourism Oregon comes following efforts by the Clatskanie Chamber of Commerce, the Columbia Economic Team, and local business leaders. The $24,000 is part of the $81,610 the chamber received in November 2023. There may be some projects coming soon to downtown, which include beautification projects along North Nehalem Street, according to Hinkelman. “There’s a possibility of planting some trees in front of a parking
Abuse allegations have surfaced against a coach at the Vault Elite Competitive Cheer, Tumbling, and Ninjas studio, prompting the business to cancel classes and camps and sparking an investigation by law enforcement. The allegations were made known publicly via a post on the Vault Elite Facebook page. “It has been brought to our attention that there have been abuse allegations made against one of our former coaches. Vault Elite has terminated this coach’s contract, and we are fully cooperating with local law enforcement to ensure our athletes are safe. He will no longer be allowed in our gym and our athlete’s safety remains our top priority. Classes and camps have been canceled until further notice. Please join us for a parent meeting, Thursday 8/15/24 at 4:15 p.m. so that we can address your questions and concerns,” the post stated. The post also said that if anyone had any information in regards to the abuse allegations, to directly contact the local police department. Located at 1904 Columbia Boulevard in St. Helens, Vault Elite has been in its current location since 2015. St. Helens Communications Officer Crystal King confirmed that the St. Helens Police Department is investigating the two reports of alleged sexual misconduct. “The St. Helens Police Department has received two reports of alleged sexual misconduct by an adult involving minors at Vault Elite. We take reports of sexual abuse seriously and are currently actively investigating these allegations. Due to the active nature of the investigation, we are not releasing additional details at this time. Attempts to reach ownership for comment on the situation or the meeting with parents on Aug. 15 were successful at time of press. If people have information related to this investigation, they are encouraged to contact the St. Helens Police Department at 503-397-1521. Follow this developing story at thechroncileonline.com, thechiefnews.com and in the Wednesday print editions of the Columbia County Chronicle & Chief.
Amani Center, local agencies seek to tackle trafficking WILL LOHRE
Country Media, Inc.
To best pursue its goal of protecting children from abuse and supporting survivors, the Amani Center is pleased to announce the formation of a Child Sex Trafficking Task Force, the result of partnerships between the Columbia County District Attorney’s office and collaboration with community
See CITY, Page A8
7 DAY FORECAST
See CENTER, Page A8
Send us a news tip at thechronicleonline.com and thechiefnews.com
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
High 71° Low 58 °
High 70° Low 56°
High 67° Low 56°
High 70° Low 56°
High 74° Low 57°
High 79° Low 58°
High 79° Low 57°
Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset 6:20 a.m. 8:13 p.m. 6:21 a.m. 8:12 p.m. 6:22 a.m. 8:10 p.m. 6:24 a.m. 8:08 p.m. 6:25 a.m. 8:06 p.m. 6:26 a.m. 8:05 p.m. 627: a.m. 8:03 p.m.