Cris Gwilliam named 2024 Middle School Principal of the Year
Rainier Oregon Historical Museum ready to break ground
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Chronicle & Chief THE COLUMBIA COUNTY
Wednesday, May 1, 2024 | Columbia County, Oregon
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House fire claims life of one in Rainier WILL LOHRE
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structure fire in Rainier claimed the life of one on the night of Apr. 25, and the cause of the fire is under investigation, according to CRFR Interim Fire Chief Eric Smythe. At approximately 8:37 p.m. Apr. 25, the district received a report of smoke and a possible structure fire in the 75000 block of Fern Hill Road in Rainier, according to Smythe. “The crews initially found smoke throughout the structure. They were advised by a bystander that there could be a victim inside. The crew made entry, within a short few minutes located the victim, and removed the victim from the building,” Smythe said. Unfortunately, the victim had passed away “prior to being removed from the building.” Columbia River Fire & Rescue were assisted by Clatskanie Rural Fire Protection District, Scappoose Fire District, and Longview Fire Department, along with the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office to “investigate and assist with the investigation.” Smythe said there were a number of ambulances who responded and volunteers with “several apparatus.” There were many responders on scene, and it took “several hours to extinguish the fire.” See FIRE, Page A5
COURTESY PHOTO FROM NOELLE FRESHNER
The St. Helens Band at Universal Studios.
High notes for St. Helens High School Band WILL LOHRE
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usic is in the air, and for some of St. Helens High School’s most talented musicians, the spring has been full of highlights. The St. Helens High School Wind Ensemble is Cowapa League Champions again, and a band of St. Helens students took first place at a music festival in Los Angeles. Band Director Noelle Freshner said that with the win at the league
concert on April 10, her band secured an automatic berth to the State Championships on May 9. The band placed second in the state last year. “Last year, we had a very large and strong senior class graduate,” Freshner said. “This year, we relied very heavily on our younger players, and they have absolutely stepped up to it. They’re an incredible band.” Freshner said that despite the younger group, they have been able to replicate much of last year’s success. The group is made up of seniors, juniors, and sophomores, and
they stepped into important roles for the band. For Freshner, one of the important things for her was setting the band up for success through the selection of music they would play. Freshner selected three tunes to make up the band’s slate. The set includes Vanishing Point by Randall Standridge, Tinker to Evers to Chance by Carolyn Bremer, and Fate of the Gods by Steven Reineke. Sophomore Riya Roylance is in her second year in the Wind Ensemble, and she plays the baritone saxo-
phone. Roylance said that winning the league this year was “great.” Her favorite piece from their set is Fate of the Gods because she loves how “mysterious” the song is and that “it tells such a great story through the music.” Senior Judah Olson and his sister, sophomore Charity Olson, play trumpet and clarinet for the Wind Ensemble, respectively, and they also said Fate of the Gods is their favorite song they play as well. See HIGH NOTES, Page A3
Amani Center’s Race Against Child Abuse
COURTESY PHOTO FROM HAIDON ALLEN
Haidon Allen and his team after winning his pro debut.
The Columbia County District Attorney’s Office had 11 people out to take part in the race.
St. Helens pro wins debut WILL LOHRE
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fter years of preparation, St. Helens boxer Haidon Allen has won his professional debut, beating Robert Jimenez by unanimous decision. Competing in the Arena Wars Fighting Series, Allen got in the ring at Campy Withycombe, located at 15300 SE Industrial Way, Happy Valley, Oregon, on April 20. Allen secured victory by unanimous decision after four three-minute rounds. The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief caught up with Allen after his big win. Since the fight, Allen said he’s been taking some time to recover, spending time “eating good” and helping his mom with the garden. Speaking on the fight, Allen reflected on what the win means to him as he begins his professional journey.
“When they raised my hand, I saw my family, all my friends, and supporters, they all jumped up, and I couldn’t help but smile,” Allen said. I was happy because this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. I didn’t know how it was going to be.” Allen said it was nerve-wracking coming into the arena, seeing all the people who were there for the fight. Allen walked out to Dragon Ball Z music, a tribute to Allen’s love for anime, which is one of his inspirations. The fight The bout started with Allen and Jimenez touching gloves and wishing each other luck. Then the bell rang. Allen said he stuck to the gameplan set by his coach Victor Morales. “I stayed in the zone. The whole time, in my mind, I was See ALLEN, Page A11
IN THIS ISSUE Police Reports .............. A3 Opinion .......................... A4 Obituaries ...................... A5 Market ............................ A6 Public Notices ..............A6-9 Games & Puzzles .......... A10 Crossword .................... A11
WILL LOHRE
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he Amani Center held its 16th Annual Race Against Child Abuse to raise funds for the non-profit and bring awareness to Columbia County on the issues of child abuse. The Amani Center raised more than $12,000 to support the organization’s general operating budget, which is used to support kids and the associated expenses of providing assessments at the center. The race included a 1-mile walk and 5k and 10k runs. The event had more than 175 people registered to participate, and it’s a step in the right direction after the pandemic dented participation. The highest number of people they’ve had partake in the event in the past was 300 in 2019. “We’re trying to inch back up to [300 participants], but that was pre-pandemic,” Amani Center Deputy Director Beth Pulito said. “We have increased our attendance
7 DAY FORECAST
and participation every year since going back to the in person race.” One area where they did see high participation was among kids, which Pulito said was a “fun fact.” This year’s race charted a different path than in years past due to the construction that has taken over the historic St. Helens Riverfront District. This year’s race started at Columbia River Foursquare Church, and the route was the same as the yearly Reindeer Run. This year, Pulito and the Amani Center implemented a new way for people to participate called “Sweet Dreams - Sleep in for a Cause.” The initiative was put into place so that people could take part even if they didn’t want to run the race. Some of the biggest supporters of the race have been the district attorney’s offices in Washington, Multnomah, and Columbia County. This stems from another idea to fuel participation that started in 2017. “In 2017, we created the District Attorney’s Challenge and pit-
COURTESY PHOTO FROM BETH PULITO
ted the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office against Multnomah County’s, against Washington County’s,” Pulito said. “They get bragging rights for who has the largest team, who raises the most extra money, whose combined team goes the longest distance, and whose team has the most team spirit. So those three agencies get to compete for those four awards.” Pulito said that the Sweet Dreams initiative helps boost participation for the offices because people can register and partake without needing to make the trip or run the race. This year, Pulito said the bragging rights for participation go to Washington County’s DA Office, with 47 participants. Multnomah County’s DA Office had 27 participants, and Columbia County’s office had 11 participants “plus a puppy.” Columbia County District Attorney Joshua Pond and Washington County DA Kevin Barton See AMANI, Page A11
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