Mapping wildfire hazard areas
Clatskanie High sports Page A6
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2023
VOL. 131, NO. 38 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
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Clatskanie High School grad now Multnomah County Sheriff High School, I had a wonderful band teacher named Dee Wooley who encouraged me to follow this passion.” “She was a great sax player,” Wooley recalled. However, different interests arose as she went through her education at UP. After going on a ride-along with one of her friends from Clatskanie in the Portland Police Bureau, Morrisey O’Donnell has a newfound passion.
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“I am excited to take on this role and honored to be the first woman elected as Sheriff in Multnomah County. Over my career, I have been a trailblazer because I’ve had to be,” Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell told The Chief. On Wednesday, Jan. 4, Morrisey O’Donnell was sworn in as the 41st Sheriff of Multnomah County. It is the first time in the 168-year history of the agency that a woman has been elected to the position. Multnomah County is the most populous in Oregon and includes Portland, Vancouver, and Hillsboro. “I hope that by seeing a woman hold the highest rank in law enforcement in the county, a position that is so often held by a man, that I can empower other girls and women to dream big,” Morrisey O’Donnell said. As sheriff, Morrisey O’Donnell assumes the position with goals she wants to accomplish. Some of the significant things she wants to address are: • Reducing gun violence through proven strategies for prevention, intervention, and collaboration with system partners and community stakeholders. • Improving safety on our streets by increasing education and enforcement of dangerous driving behavior. • Investing in alternative service models and supports by partnering with service providers, such
I hope that by seeing a woman hold the highest rank in law enforcement in the county, a position that is so often held by a man, that I can empower other girls and women to dream big. ~ Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell, Multnomah County Sheriff
Sheriff Morrisey O’Donnell being sworn in Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
as mental health and addiction specialists who are focused on outreach efforts, housing, education, job skills, and treatment opportunities. • Focusing on recruiting and retention strategies to promote longterm agency growth and the health and well-being of our employees. Finding her path
While Morrisey O’Donnell has achieved great things in law enforcement, it wasn’t always a career she envisioned for herself. “My commitment to community safety started at a young age, when my father survived a shooting during an armed robbery at his business in Westport. I experienced firsthand the impacts gun violence can have in our lives and in our community,” Morrisey O’Donnell
Courtesy photo
said. “However, when I went off to college at the University of Portland (UP), I did not think my future was in law enforcement.” Growing up in Clatskanie, Morrisey O’Donnell attended Clatskanie Middle/High School and was passionate about music. “I started college as a music major. I grew up playing the saxophone,” Morrisey O’Donnell said. “When I was at Clatskanie
“At that time, a whole new possibility for my future opened up,” Morrisey O’Donnell said. “I switched to studying criminal justice and began my journey in public safety.” Supportive foundation Sheriff Morrisey O’Donnell has served the sheriff’s office for 26 years. In 1996, she began as a cor-
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Fentanyl crisis heightens concerns in Columbia County WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
Oregon is facing an overdose crisis. According to Oregon Health Authority (OHA), unintentional and undetermined drug overdose deaths in Oregon more than doubled between 2019 and 2021. Illicitly manufactured Fentanyl (IMF) is at the heart of this crisis and has now surpassed methamphetamine as the most frequent drug involved in overdose deaths. An issue briefing from the OHA to the Oregon Governor’s Office revealed staggering statistics on the crisis. “Fentanyl overdose deaths increased nearly 600% between 2019 and 2021, from 71 to 509, respectively. In 2021, more than half (54.6%) of overdose deaths involved more than one drug and/or alcohol,” the report said. Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley reported that there has been a “significant” rise in both dealing and fentanyl use countywide. The county has also had deaths due to the drug. Pixley also gave reasons why the drug is becoming more common. “We are seeing a sharp spike in fentanyl being used in the production
Obituaries ................. A3 Opinions ................... A4 Community CalendarA4 Classified Ads ......... A5 Legals ....................... A5 Sports.........................A6
Contact The Chief Phone: 503-397-0116 Fax: 503-397-4093 chiefnews@countrymedia.net 1805 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, OR 97051
Courtesy from Lincoln City Police
Law enforcement agents are finding powered fentanyl in drug investigations across the state.
of fake oxy pills and as an additive to other illegal substances,” Pixley said. “I believe this is becoming more common because of its potency. Users do not need to use an much fentanyl to get [and] maintain their high. It is also relatively cheap.” What is Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin, and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the CDC website. Doctors prescribe pharmaceutical fentanyl to treat severe pain, especially after surgery and for advanced-stage cancer. Its illicit form is often added
to other drugs to make them more potent, cheaper to make, and more addictive. “To process the drugs in a pill form takes minimal effort,” Oregon State Police media relations representative Captain Kyle Kennedy said. “Equally, the inability of users to obtain prescription medications with Narcotic Analgesic properties, such as OxyContin, etc., has increased the demand.” Fentanyl is often used in conjunction with other stimulants and substances. It also is commonly consumed by mistake, with the user believing they are using a different substance, according to the CDC website. “Powdered fentanyl looks just like many other drugs. It is commonly mixed with drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine and made into pills that are made to resemble other prescription opioids. Fentanyl-laced drugs are extremely dangerous, and many people may be unaware that their drugs are laced with fentanyl,” the CDC states. Where is it coming from?
where illegal drug markets distribute it more widely. Kennedy detailed how the drug is imported and distributed. “Most of the fentanyl we seize comes from the southwest border of the United States, originating in Mexico,” Kennedy said. “Once the fentanyl is smuggled into the US, our investigations, along with other Law enforcement agencies, have determined it is stored in “stash houses” in southern California, Arizona, and Texas before being shipped to its final destination throughout the United States. In Oregon, common traffic corridors utilized are Interstates 5 and 84, as well as Highway 97.” Who’s at risk? According to the OHA, overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased from 227 in 2019-2020 to 509 deaths in 2020-2021. Unfortunately, the OHA could not provide data on the use of the drug overall. However, the OHA, OSP, and Sheriff Pixley all agreed that fentanyl dealing and use have increased. OHA data showed an increase in fentanyl seized from 690
IMF is typically made in Mexico and trafficked to the United States,
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Cities outline priorities at Oregon Legislature WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
City and county elected officials in Columbia County are closing monitoring and taking part in the 2023 Oregon Legislature. As part of City Day at the Capitol, nearly two hundred appointed city officials, mayors, city councilors, and city staff members from 80 cities throughout Oregon gathered in Salem to meet with legislators Wednesday, Jan. 25. City Day at the Capitol is cohosted by the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) and the Oregon Mayors Association (OMA); it offers city officials from around the state a chance to advocate for their communities on priority issues. The day kicked off with a media briefing, and city officials outlined three “key priorities.” • Homelessness services and prevention funding
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City Day at the Capitol offers city officials from around the state a chance to advocate for their communities on priority issues.
• Economic development incentives • Infrastructure needs and funding
The LOC policy priorities are created by its 241 member cities. Seven member-driven policy committees are brought together each even-numbered year to determine the
policy issues that matter most to Oregon cities. Those committees send a ballot of issues to every city council in Oregon, where they review which issues they view as most important. The three priorities that were the focus of the media briefing, and the City Day at the Capitol overall, represent three of the eight most essential issues outlined by cities in the state. During the briefing, three city representatives addressed these issues. OMA President and North Plains Mayor Teri Lenahan spoke about homelessness and housing. Hermiston Mayor and LOC Vice President Dave Drotzmann commented on economic development. The final official to talk during the press conference was past LOC President and Central Point Councilor Taneea Browning, who addressed infrastructure and development capacity.
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