The Chronicle presents the 2022
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Spoil your furry friend Wiggle Butz Pet Bakery 1945 Columbia Blvd. St. Helens, OR • 503.410.5752 M-F 10am-6pm SAT. 10am-5pm SUN. Closed Dog treats, cat treats, & pet supplies
Wednesday, September 28, 2022 www.wigglebutzpetbakery.com & www.etsy.com
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Serving Columbia County since 1881
Multiple vehicle break-ins STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
Courtesy photo ftom from CRFR
Flames rise above the burning structure in St. Helens.
Flames overtake local home JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Flames shot high into the air from a structure fire, causing fire crews to rush to the area of Oakwood and Blackoak Drive in St. Helens. The occupants’ who were home at the time the fire started, were able to escape with minor smoke inhalation. Their two dogs and cockatiel made it out unharmed, and the occupants, three cats were located inside the home, unharmed. It took approximately 30 minutes for fire crews to control the Friday, Sept. 23, blaze, according to Columbia River Fire & Rescue
(CRFR). The cause of the fire remained under investigation as of Sept. 26. Scappoose Fire and Columbia River PUD assisted at the scene of the structure fire. In 2019, there were 60 fire deaths in Oregon, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Fast Facts The following information is from the insurance comparison website The Zebra and the San Francisco Fire Department:
• In a five-year period, house fires caused 2,620 deaths and $6.9 billion in property damage (National Fire Protection Associa-
tion). • The top three causes of fires in homes are cooking, heating equipment, and electrical malfunction (FEMA). • The leading cause of fire deaths is careless smoking. • Every day, at least one child dies from a fire inside the home (Stanford Children’s Hospital). • Nearly 4,000 Americans die each year in house fires and over 2000 are severely injured. • Adults 65 and older are more than twice as likely to die in fires as the overall population. • It can take just 30 seconds for a small flame to turn into a major blaze (Department of Homeland Security). • In only 3 and a half minutes,
the heat from a house fire can reach over 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. • In rooms that are not even on fire, the temperature can reach over 300 degrees; this is hot enough to melt plastic and kill the people in those rooms. • Having a working smoke detector more than doubles one’s chances of surviving a fire. • In 2005, 106 firefighters died in the line of duty in the United States. Fire officials often provide home and property audits to help and educate families about fire prevention. Contact your local fire district or fire department for more information.
A Portland man faces several charges after police responded to the Summit View Drive area of St. Helens to a report of a suspicious person. When St. Helens police arrived on scene, they learned that neighbors had followed the individual to a nearby wooded area where the suspect was believed to be hiding. Police received reports on scene of multiple vehicle break-ins in the neighborhood. Personal items were stolen from vehicles, including a handgun. Police set up a perimeter and conducted a track in the woods. After deploying St. Helens Police K-9 Ryder, the suspect emerged from the woods and was taken into custody without incident. The stolen handgun and other items were recovered on scene. Devere Wind Sanchez, 35, of Portland, was taken to Columbia County Jail and is being lodged on multiple counts of Theft I, Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle, and multiple outstanding warrants out of Multnomah County. Police said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be forthcoming. If you live in the area of Summit View Drive and Bachelor Flat Road and your vehicle was broken into or you had property stolen on the morning of September 26, 2022, you are asked to contact the St. Helens Police Department at 503397-1521. Police recommend taking the following steps to protect yourself from becoming a victim of a vehicle break-in: • Lock • Take • Hide Always make sure to lock your vehicle, take your keys and belongings with you, and hide any items that you have to leave behind. Report vehicle break-ins and theft to the St. Helens Police Department at 503-397-1521.
Election forum HERB SWETT chronicle1@countrymedia.net
The $9 million is designed to ease the affordable housing and child care crises for Oregon families in need.
Metro Creative Connection
$9M for Affordable Housing Assistance Opinion ..................... A4 Poll ............................ A4 Community Calendar A4
Classified Ads ......... A5 Crossword ............... A5 Legals ....................... A6 Obituaries ................. A7
Vol. 140, No. 39
STAFF REPORT chroniclenews@countrymedia.net
The Oregon Legislative Emergency Board has approved $9 million to help low-income families with affordable housing and child care. The funds will go toward the Early Learning Affordable Housing Co-Location pilot program to support gap financing for affordable rental housing projects that are co-located with child care or early learning centers, according to a release from the Oregon House Democrats. “Parents of young children – especially single moms and women of color – can struggle to maintain steady work without affordable housing or child care,” Representative Ricki Ruiz (D-Gresham) said. “This is an opportunity for us to drive down the cost of living and
provide economic stability for Oregon families so children can learn in safe environments without interruption.” The co-location pilot program is designed to make it easier for low-income families and communities in poverty to access critical resources by eliminating barriers and creating supportive networks. A report this year from the Low Income Investment Fund and ECONorthwest on behalf of Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) and the Early Learning Division (ELD), showed co-locating child care and early education with affordable housing can make neighborhoods more family-friendly, improve families’ economic growth, promote healthy child development, all while responding to the severe housing and child care shortages. “Too often low-income and BIPOC communities face compound-
ing inequities that make it nearly impossible to live healthy and fulfilling lives – from lack of housing and child care to inadequate transportation or healthy food,” Representative Andrea Valderrama (D-Outer East Portland) said. “I’m excited to see how this pilot program helps to break cycles of poverty and ensures people in need have community and are connected to much-needed resources.” Currently, Oregon needs 30,000 more child care slots to meet base demand, as well as 600,000 new housing units over the next two decades. Co-located developments will look to address these needs, according to the release. The approved funding will go to OHCS, which has partnered with ELD to implement the pilot program. The E-Board made the approval Friday, Sept. 23 during its regular meeting in Salem.
Candidates for two state and two local offices have been invited to participate in a South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce forum from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Chamber office, 2194 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens. The event will be open to the public, and the Chamber board of directors will present questions for the candidates. South Columbia County Chamber President Alex Tardif said questions for the candidates have been chosen by the Chamber will be those that Chamber members consider most relevant to the business community. “We’re the Chamber, representing business throughout Columbia County,” he said. “We’ll ask the candidates questions about issues relating to business.” Tardif added that the board members will ask three questions for each candidate, with questions being the same for each person running for the same office. Chamber members were urged to ask the questions that would’ create a forum that’s well received,” he said. Candidates for Columbia County sheriff, a Columbia
See FORUM Page A3