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Wednesday, May 3, 2023
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SHHS Chor Leonis heads to State competition WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
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ome of St. Helens High School’s most musically inclined will head to Corvallis in the next two weeks to compete at the State Championships in choir and band. Chor Leonis is the high school’s premiere festival chorus and will compete with other 4A programs on May 5. St. Helens High Music Coordinator and Choir Director Eric Stearns will bring his chorus to the competition riding high off their firstplace finish in the COWAPA League Championships. “We’ve worked hard to get to this point; now we’re just kind of dialing it in to get to those little nuances of the music,” Stearns said. “It’s all about musicality at this stage. They know the notes. You know, they have their tempos, their rhythms, they have all of that. The basics are there, but how do you make a piece go from being music to being art?” There are 42 kids in the choir this year, according to Stearns, which he’s pleased with in the wake of COVID. The choir is an auditioned ensemble, and as the advanced choir at St. Helens High School, only the best makes the cut. On May 5, Chor Leonis will compete in the state competition at the LaSells Stewart Center on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis. Stearns says that about 60% of the choir this year are seniors, with the rest being largely juniors and sophomores. Student Jack Roberts said joining this year’s group has had more benefits than just bettering his singing ability. “Well, I just wanted to better my music ability, but I’m enjoying it; all
Will Lohre / Country Media, Inc.
Eric Stearns and his choir rehearsing at St. Helens High School ahead of their State competition.
these people are great, and I enjoy the company,” Roberts said. Fellow choir member Vanessa Wallace echoed Roberts’ sentiment, saying that the skills the choir teaches go beyond music. “I’ve always been very passionate
when it comes to music, and choir’s been a really good way to connect with everybody and to get to know people that have the same passions,” Wallace said. “It also just builds a lot of really good skills for the future, like being able to work with other
people and also to work through hardships.” Watching the group practice at St. Helens High School, the mood was light-hearted, with students and Stearns laughing and joking between song rehearsals. This year, the chorus
will perform a five-song set that represents a diversity of music in accordance with requirements from
See CHORUS Page A9
Report of shots fired, road rage incident STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.
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Jeremy C. Ruark / Country Media, Inc.
If you have any information about this case, you are asked to call St. Helens Police at 503-397-1521.
ne person faces criminal charges after reports of shots fired at a local business. St. Helens Police officers were dispatched to a reported shooting which occurred at the St. Helens McDonald’s at 58771 South Columbia River Highway at 11:28 p.m. Friday, April 28. Callers reported a road rage incident involving a motorcycle and a maroon SUV which eventually led to the driver of the SUV firing a gun at the motorcyclist and fleeing the scene. When officers arrived on scene, the motorcyclist had already left the location. Police would like to take a statement from the unidentified motor-
cyclist who was almost shot and are urging this individual to contact the St. Helens Police Department by calling 503-397-1521. Officers interviewed witnesses at the scene who reported that a road rage incident occurred between the SUV and motorcycle as they were driving toward St. Helens from Scappoose. Following the road rage incident, witnesses then observed a confrontation between the drivers which occurred in the McDonald’s drivethru. The SUV driver fired a single round at the motorcyclist and then fled the scene, according to a release from St. Helens Police. Witnesses checked the motorcyclist for injury and reported that he was not struck by the gunfire. Witnesses were unable to identify
the motorcyclist. Police located a bullet at the scene which was seized as evidence. A Columbia County Sheriff’s deputy located a maroon SUV in Columbia City and conducted a traffic stop. St. Helens detectives responded to the location and executed a search warrant. Police located a loaded gun and a spent shell casing inside the vehicle. The driver of the SUV, Donald Brown, 56, was taken into custody and lodged at Columbia County Jail on charges of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Reckless Endangering, Menacing, Reckless Driving, and DUII. This is an active investigation. If you have any information about this case, you are asked to call St. Helens Police at 503-397-1521.
Turmoil leads to internal CRFR audit WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
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he turmoil at the Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR) district continues to unfold as the CRFR board of directors approved a forensic audit of the district’s finances by a certified public accountant. The district’s attorney, Akin Blitz of Bullard Law, brought documents before the board at an emergency board meeting on April 28 that included an engagement letter for legal services of Bullard Law to address issues facing the district News and Views ...... A4 Poll ............................ A4 Obituaries ................. A5 Classified Ads ......... A6 Legals ..................... A6-7 Crossword ............... A8 Sports ..................... A10
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and a litigation services engagement agreement between Bullard Law and accounting firm Merina+Company. Fire Chief Joel Medina requested Blitz’s services. These documents were presented to the board in the interest of beginning an investigation into financial abnormalities raised by former employees and the local firefighters union against Medina, as well as investigating financial misdoings that Medina believes took place at the district before he arrived by current and past employees. Blitz said that the audit he would direct would seek the truth between the opposing views of those who filed the civil lawsuit and the local union and the chief’s findings. The board voted unanimously to allow Blitz to hire an independent CPA to audit the district’s finances. “The outcome of that will be, with respect to all of the financial concerns that are being raised by the
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The CRFR Board and its command staff held an emergency meeting on April 28 and ordered an internal audit.
chiefs, there will be clarity. Numbers like physics tend to be fairly objective,” Blitz said. “So there’s not going to be shades of grey, and there’s not going to be any subjective interpretation, such as what we’re seeing in the civil complaint
that was recently filed in circuit court, and some of the union points of view that have been articulated on social media and other places.” This motion comes amid ongoing controversy at the fire district. A civil lawsuit was filed against the
CRFR and Chief Medina on April 7 by former employees Anika Todd and Jennifer Motherway, alleging sexual harassment, wrongful
See CRFR Page A9
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