Ballot Measure 114 Update
Whale Watching Week
Page A3
Page A3
$1.50
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
thechronicleonline.com
Serving Columbia County since 1881
Life in Columbia County
Police seek 4 individuals in theft investigation
Courtesy from SHPD
Video surveillance captured what police say is the suspect vehicle. See more photos with this story at thechronicleonline.com.
S
Kelli Nicholson / Country Media
A striking and colorful sunrise from the shoreline of the Columbia River at St. Helens early Friday morning, Dec. 16, captured by Chronicle team member Kelli Nicholson. Look carefully to see the soaring bird in the center of the photo. Look for more Life in Columbia County photos at thechronicleonline.com.
t. Helens Police are seeking public help in finding four suspects involved in a grab-and-dash theft from the St. Helens Walmart. St. Helens Police Department (SHPD) officers responded to the report of a theft in progress at the St. Helens Walmart at 2295 Gable Road at at approximately 10:55 p.m. Monday Dec. 12. Two male and two female suspects left the store with three shopping carts filled with stolen merchandise, according to SHPD. One of the male suspects was seen on security footage pushing an employee out of his way when the suspects were confronted by staff as they left the store. The suspects fled the scene prior to police arrival in a blue Chevy Suburban towing a trailer. An area check was conducted, but police were unable to locate the vehicle. If you have any information about this incident or know the identity of the suspects, you are asked to contact the St. Helens Police Department at 503-397-1521.
Highway 30 landslide illustrates Oregon danger JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.
W
There is so much work that it will continue even after lanes are open to traffic. ~ David House, ODOT
ork continues this week at the site of a massive landslide along Highway 30 just north of Clatskanie. “We expect to keep scaling rock into the holidays, and getting more lanes open is the goal, but we don’t have an estimated date for that,” Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) representative David House said. “There is so much work that it will continue even after lanes are open to traffic.”
Long-term fix
The event The highway has been open to a single flagged lane since early December following a massive landslide. The slide started at approximately 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, about 100 feet above the roadway, according to House. It was about 110-feet wide and sent at least 1,800 cubic yards of mostly rock onto the highway.
The massive slide occurred Nov. 29 just north of Clatskanie along Highway 30.
Large road equipment has been brought to the site to move the debris from the roadway. Specially trained crews propelled down the side of the steep cliff to help remove rocks, trees and other debris
to stabilize the hillside. The landslide was likely due to rain and strong winds on trees with roots deep in rocky hillside. “This section of US Highway 30 crosses an area where land-
Courtesy from ODOT
slides have long been part of the geology, often triggered by heavy rainfall,” ODOT stated earlier. “So, this part of the road has long had landslide warning signs.”
House added that in general, there is no permanent way to prevent landslides. “Western Oregon is geologically active – it’s always on the move, gradually eroding toward the ocean, which moves the land and causes erosion and occasional landslides,” he said. “We adapt the highways as the land moves, and the work we do buys more time between events.” Geologists with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral and Industries (DOGAMI) caution
See LANDSLIDE Page A7
Still going strong at Grocery Outlet more than a year in WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
Opinion ..................... A4 Poll ............................ A4 Community Calendar A4
Classified Ads ......... A5 Crossword ............... A5 Legals ....................... A6 Obituaries ................. A7
Vol. 140, No. 51
I
t’s been over a year since Ricky and Kate Linares opened their St. Helens Grocery Outlet in August 2021, and they are proud to report that the business has been going strong. “Everything’s going amazing,” Kate Linares said. “And I feel like the community has really taken to us and we’ve really taken to them.” “We feel like we’ve hit the sweet spot where we live, too, because we live here in St. Helens in town, and our neighborhood is great,” Ricky Linares added. “Just the community in general, kind of like to Kate’s point, it’s been really cool, and we see so many regulars every day, too, so that’s been a really nice highlight.” Grocery Outlet is a larger corporate chain; however, their franchises are locally owned and operated, and the Grocery Outlet in St. Helens is the Linares family business. The 12,000-square-foot Grocery Outlet employs 20 workers and offers a variety of items and brands at affordable rates. Ricky Linares has a retail and grocery background, and he and Kate underwent extensive training
Jeremy C. Ruark / Country Media, Inc.
Ricky and Kate Linares, center, their children, South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce representatives and others open the new St. Helens Grocery Outlet with a ribbon cutting ceremony Aug. 12, 2021
from Grocery Outlet to prepare to run the business. However, the first year has offered its fair share of challenges, especially as the pandemic persists. “It was difficult, honestly, to put
it mildly, because not only is this our first business ever, so it’s hard to see what things are going to be like and just adjust and learn. Other than just training, you’re actually doing it. But to do it in crazy times
is really difficult as well.” Ricky Linares said. “You would see people’s attitudes shift almost from day to
See GROCERY Page A6