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St. Helens High School Graduation Special Cloudy Page A13 Calendar A5 • Classified Ads A10-11 • Public Notices A11-12 • Obituaries A6
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
• Opinion A4 • Out & About A5
• Weather A13
The Chronicle
$1 Vol. 135, No. 24 32 Pages
www.thechronicleonline.com
St. Helens man charged with arson in house fire A St. Helens youth was arrested for arson resulting from a fire that destroyed an RV trailer and heavily damaged a home. According to St. Helens Police Department, at about 9:40 a.m. June 9, Jason Zweigart, 18, of St. Helens was allegedly “playing” with a handheld torch in a trailer parked next to his mother’s home when the fire got out of hand. The resulting fire consumed the trailer and heavily damaged the home located at 275 South 15th Street as well as a vehicle parked next door. Ian Conner, spokesperson for Columbia River Fire and Rescue said one of the home’s occupants suffered smoke inhalation and was treated at the scene. Damage to the home and trailer is estimated at $75,000. Zweigart was charged with firstdegree arson, first-degree criminal mischief, reckless endangering and reckless burning. He was lodged in the Columbia County Jail with bail set at $106,250. Police Chief Terry Moss said Zweigart was intentionally setting things on fire. “I think we know now that his intent wasn’t to burn the whole place down, but his intent was to set fires inside the trailer,” Moss said. He added that the suspect spoke about the incident to officers during the course of the investigation. There was some outcry on social media regarding the seriousness of the arson charge, questioning if it fit the alleged actions of the accused. “We believe there is room in the statute to suggest that arson did occur,” Moss said.
Jason Zweigart.
Don Patterson/The Chronicle
Ready to serve: Oregon Army National Guard BY CODY MANN
cmann@countrymedia.net
Cody Mann/The Chronicle
Matthew Bringman moved aggressively during simulated urban warfare.
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Three Columbia County men recently answered the call of duty and enlisted in the Oregon Army National Guard. Spec. Matthew Renwick is a 30-year-old Scappoose native who enlisted in January and shipped out to basic training in May. Renwick earned a degree from Oregon State University while working as a commercial truck driver. Though originally he had an interest in sports and physical education, Renwick found his home in the psychology department. As a somewhat older recruit,
Renwick said while life experience may be a factor, he expects to be challenged at basic training. Attending drills in the lead-up to basic, he sharpened his physical and mental tools for the test of a lifetime. “The more you put into it without overexerting yourself, the better,” Renwick said. The key is to train hard, but to rest well, too. Renwick is training to become a Cavalry Scout, primarily a reconnaissance role that provides “eyes and ears” for commanders on the battlefield. He was drawn to the military occupational specialty (MOS) with some curiosity, and his research led him to an interest in the work, which is known to be dangerous and difficult.
“I like to go towards things that might challenge me physically,” he said. “I knew going into it I wouldn’t be sitting behind a desk.” Renwick said he was met with a strongly positive reaction from family and friends when he chose to enlist. With international tension as tight as ever, he understands he may find himself at the tip of the spear if a conflict emerges. He said he would rather be in a position of preparedness and ready to stand and fight if the time comes. With a family tradition of military service and an interest as a young man, Renwick said
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Photos of shooting suspect’s truck released
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Photos courtesy of Oregon State Police
Photos have been released showing what police say is the truck used in a shooting on Highway 30 this past week. Oregon State Police is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the driver of a single cab, full-size pickup, maroon or burgundy in color, with a silver or white stripe down the side. The suspect vehicle is displayed in the background, upper
portion, of the photos. At around 3:40 p.m. on June 1, OSP responded to a report of a vehicle being shot at on Highway 30 near milepost 33 just west of Columbia City. The victim vehicle was a white Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup being operated by Mindy Griffith, 36, of St. Helens. Griffith and her passenger, Raymond Griffith, 40, also of St.
Helens, reported they were traveling eastbound on Highway 30, approaching Columbia City, when they observed a maroon, single cab, fullsize pickup, unknown make/model/ license, traveling westbound with the driver pointing a black, semiautomatic pistol in their direction. The victims reported their vehicle was struck by one round in the front windshield directly in front of Min-
dy Griffith. She was struck in the face by glass fragments and suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital by a relative for treatment and to have possible glass fragments removed from her eyes. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sergeant Luke Schwartz by calling OSP at (800) 452-7888
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