11th Annual 2022 Columbia County
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2022 Columbia County
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Published by The Chronicle & The Chief
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2022
VOL. 131, NO. 23 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
ELECTION 2022
What’s next in Oregon’s 3-way governor’s race?
Courtesy photo from the Oregon Newspapers Publishers Association
The three gubernatorial candidates, from left, Republican Christine Drazan, Democrat Tina Kotek, and Independent Betsy Johnson during a previous televised debate. JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
P
resident Joe Biden is scheduled to be in Portland Friday, Oct. 14, to participate in a Democratic function and on Saturday, Oct. 15, to attend a fundraising event for gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek, according to the White House. In July, The Chief discussed the three-way Oregon gubernatorial race with Jim Moore, Pacific University Associate Professor and Director of Political Outreach at the Tom McCall
Center for Civic Engagement. In that published interview, we looked for insight about the three candidates, Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan and Independent candidate Betsy Johnson. In this update, Moore provides additional insight into the race for Oregon Governor. The Chief: From your insight, how will President Biden’s visit to Oregon and campaigning for Tina Kotek help her and other Democrats running for office in Oregon. Will he
sway voters? Jim Moore: President Biden’s visit will excite Democrats and antagonize Republicans. It is a classic get-out-the-vote move to bring in a national figure to energize voters. In Oregon, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans by about 300,000, this is a pretty good strategy. Kotek’s team probably made the same analysis that John Kitzhaber’s election team made in 2010 when President Barack Obama visited in a very close race for governor.
A presidential visit will be more helpful than hurtful, and any voters who are motivated to vote by the visit will outweigh those who are antagonized. The wild card: Oregon’s 1 million+ unaffiliated voters. Kotek’s team might have evidence that more of them will respond positively to a Biden visit as well. Will it help other Democrats in Oregon? They will all have to make their own calculations. In some districts, Biden will be so unpopular that being associated with him during the visit would be bad for Democratic
chances in the election. In others, the opposite. I would bet we will see several Democratic congressional candidates with the president. My guesses (aside from the uncompetitive races in CD1 and CD3) would be Andrea Salinas in CD6 and Jamie McLeod Skinner in CD5. Val Hoyle in CD4 might come up as well. An endorsement by Biden of McLeod Skinner would be significant since Biden endorsed her defeated opponent, Kurt
See ELECTION Page A2
Law enforcement, citizen receive plaques for deadly shooting heroics HERB SWETT chronicle1@countrymedia.net JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Five law officers in Columbia County were honored Oct. 12 at a Columbia County Board of Commissioners meeting for their involvement in a March 31 incident at a Scappoose towing company. Receiving plaques were Sheriff Brian Pixley and Oregon State Police (OSP) Sgt. Chad Drew with the Medal of Valor; and OSP Troopers Chris Cowen and Grace Davey with the Medal of Meritorious Service. Jay White, an employee of Grumpy’s Towing received the Distinguished Citizen Award. Pixley, after receiving his
award from the commissioners, presented the other four plaques. The March 31 incident involved a disturbance at Grumpy’s Towing. The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Michael Stockton, fired several shots at Pixley and Drew, and both returned fire without being injured themselves, according to investigators. Stockton suffered fatal wounds during the incident. Other law officers arrived at the scene. Officers administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation and rescue breathing to Stockton until medical personnel took over, until Stockton died. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the shootings and returned its findings to the Columbia County
Herb Swett / The Chief
See OFFICERS Page A4
Displaying the awards are, from left, Columbia County Commissioner Casey Garrett, Grumpy’s Towing employee Jay White, OSP Trooper Chris Cowen, Trooper Grace Davey, Sheriff Brian Pixley, Columbia County Commissioner Margaret Magruder, OSP Sgt. Chad Drew, OSP Superintendent Terri Davie, Columbia County Commissioner Henry Heimuller.
Domestic violence awareness object of October focus HERB SWETT chronicle1@countrymedia.net
October, despite being known for its Halloween celebrations, has its dark side here and elsewhere in the United States. It is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Viewpoints ............... A4 Community Events .. A4
Obituaries ................. A4 Crossword puzzle ....A5 Classified Ads ......... A5
Legals ....................... A5
Contact The Chief Phone: 503-397-0116 Fax: 503-397-4093 chiefnews@countrymedia.net 1805 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, OR 97051
“Domestic violence is a pervasive, often life-threatening crime affecting millions of individuals across our nation,” according to a proclamation issued by the Columbia County Board of Commissioners. “Nationally, an average of three women are killed daily by a former or current intimate partner. In addition, children exposed to violence are more likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, become victims of human trafficking, and commit sexual assault crimes.” In Columbia County and elsewhere in the United States, organizations are getting the word out about violence prevention and protection of victims. SAFE (Support Advocacy Freedom Empowerment) is collaborating with community partners and others to increase awareness of domestic violence in the community. The Chief asked Ellyn Bell, executive director of SAFE in Columbia County, whether domestic violence in Columbia County is increasing or decreasing. She replied that it seemed to be “maybe a little less than last year,” but she added that her organization does not keep records. SAFE Office Manager Susan Barrientos-Byrd said domestic violence is not limited to beatings. SAFE often deals with emotional and financial harassment, she said.
program, and there is a national hotline that “sends people back to us,” Bell said. Local expert produces novel concerning domestic violence
Metro Creative Connection
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Barrientos-Byrd said women often struggle with leaving and return to their abusers. “We offer them support, encourage healthier relationships, and help our clients move forward,” she said. Domestic violence records from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office were not immediately available. The records are kept year by year. Bell said anybody, male or female, at any age, can be a victim of domestic violence. Intimate partners, she added, are more likely than others to commit violence, and they include adults living with parents. “Anybody could be violent,” she said. “It’s a choice.” There is a SAFE house in Columbia County. Bell said it is at an undisclosed location. Besides sending a victim to a SAFE house for a
Courtesy photo
Rainier resident and local victim advocate Erin Hass holds the novel she has written about domestic violence.
short stay, the shelter could obtain a restraining order to best protect the victim. There is a restraining order office at the South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, she noted. Bell added that SAFE has a 24hour bilingual (English and Spanish) hotline, 503-397-6161, and has put people up in hotels as well. Nearly every county in Oregon has at least one domestic violence
Rainier resident Erin Hass is a victim advocate with the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office in St. Helens, working with victims of crime, helping them navigate the court process. She coordinates meetings with the district attorney and deputy district attorneys, referring them to other community partners for resources, and being an overall support person. Hass has written a novel about domestic violence. “I wrote this book (“The Ones Left Behind: Behind the Scenes of Domestic Violence”) because I wanted to shed some light on a growing issue,” Hass said. “Many people are not familiar with what contributes to domestic violence. Most think it is just physical abuse, which is false. Also, the other forms of abuse can be just as damaging to a person.” Hass said she also wanted to answer frequently asked questions such as “Why doesn’t a person just leave?” and “Why would they go back to that relationship?” The book takes the reader on
See AWARENESS Page A4