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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 2015)
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015 142nd YEAR, No. 175 ONE DOLLAR Tide gate failure threatens Brownsmead By KYLE SPURR The Daily Astorian %52:160($' ² $ EURNHQ tide gate over a culvert near Grizzly 6ORXJK RII 3HQWWLOD 5RDG OHW ZDWHU SRXUWRZDUGPRUHWKDQDFUHV LQFOXGLQJQHDUDWOHDVWKRPHVWKH Brownsmead Grange Hall and live- stock. ,Q UHVSRQVH ORFDO ODQGRZQ ers along with the Clatsop No. 1 'UDLQDJH ,PSURYHPHQW &R 6KHU LII¶V2IILFHDQG$UP\&RUSVRI(Q gineers worked Monday to install a temporary tide gate made of sheet metal. ³,WZDVYHU\VXFFHVVIXO´&ODWVRS &RXQW\ &RPPLVVLRQHU 'LUN 5RKQH ZKRJUHZXSLQ%URZQVPHDGVDLG ³3HRSOH ZRUNHG WRJHWKHU DQG ZHUH pretty resourceful when necessity re- quired it. What they did was a tech- QLFDOFKDOOHQJH´ The crew lifted the broken tide JDWHRXWRIWKHZDWHUZDLWHGIRUWKH tide to settle Monday afternoon and installed the replacement gate. To- GD\WKHFUHZZLOOXVHDQLQÀDWDEOH ³DLUEODGGHU´WRSOXJWKHFXOYHUW 1RVWUXFWXUHVRUURDGZD\VÀRRG HG IURP WKH WLGH JDWH EUHDN ZKLFK ZDV ¿UVW QRWLFHG 6XQGD\ E\ WKH 'UDLQDJH,PSURYHPHQW&R Rohne said the break caused water levels in the area to rise two IHHWVLQFH6XQGD\RQHIRRWSHUGD\ 7KHZDWHU¿OOVWKHVORXJKVWKHQWKH ditches then could have reached KRPHVDQGURDGZD\VKHVDLG About half a dozen residents gathered around to watch the crew work Monday. The area behind the WLGH JDWH LQFOXGHV KRPHV QLQH IDUPVWKHJUDQJHKDOOOLYHVWRFNDQG four county roads. +D]HO %DUHQGVH D %URZQVPHDG resident whose house overlooks the WLGHJDWHFRXOGVHHWKHZDWHUUHDFK LQJ DERXW ¿YH IHHW IURP KHU GHFN 6RPHGDIIRGLOVRQWKHHGJHRI%DU endse’s property had already sunk in the water. See TIDE GATE, Page 12A A new cutter for here? Steadfast is home again Coast Guard could homeport two fast response cutters in Astoria or Newport By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian Natalie and Kendall Jenks, of Astoria, greet Jeremy Jenks after the Steadfast docked at its Astoria homeport. The ship returned Saturday morning after a two-month deployment. IRRW ³JRIDVW´ ERDW ZKLFK KDG EHHQ VSRWWHG E\PDULWLPHSDWURODLUFUDIWDQGGLVFRYHUHG KH &RDVW *XDUG &XWWHU 6WHDGIDVW UH bales of contraband that tested positive for co- WXUQHGWRLWVKRPHSRUWLQ$VWRULD6DWXU caine. Three suspected smugglers were taken day morning after a two-month deploy- LQWRFXVWRG\DFFRUGLQJWRDVWDWHPHQWIURPWKH ment that included the interception of a boat guard. VRXWKRI(O6DOYDGRUFDUU\LQJNLORJUDPVRI The drug seizure was part of Operation cocaine with a wholesale value of $23 million. 0DUWLOORDQLQWHUQDWLRQDOSDUWQHUVKLSWRLQWHU 7KH 6WHDGIDVW FXWWHU LQWHUFHSWHG WKH FHSW LOOHJDO GUXJV ZHDSRQV DQG PRQH\ DORQJ The Daily Astorian T WUDI¿FNLQJ URXWHV LQ WKH ZDWHUV RII &HQWUDO America. 7KH6WHDGIDVWDOVRSDUWLFLSDWHGLQWKH1RUWK $PHULFDQ0DULWLPH6HFXULW\,QLWLDWLYH¶V3DFLI LF([HUFLVHRII(QVHQDGD0H[LFR 7KH H[HUFLVH ZKLFK LQYROYHG WKH 0H[LFDQ 1DY\DQG&DQDGLDQ1DY\ZDVGHVLJQHGWRWHVW and improve the interception of suspect vessels and persons of interest. The Coast Guard may homeport two fast response cutters in Astoria or Newport that would replace aging SDWUROERDWVLQWKH3DFL¿F1RUWKZHVW and help the guard close a patrol boat gap. 7KH IRRW 6HQWLQHOFODVV FXW ters are replacing the 1980s-era 110- foot Island-class patrol boats that are approaching the end of service life. The Coast Guard is conducting DQ HQYLURQPHQWDO DVVHVVPHQW DQG VHHNLQJ SXEOLF FRPPHQW RQ KRPH porting two of the new cutters in either Astoria or Newport. A draft is expected in May. &KLHI:DUUDQW2I¿FHU&KDG6D\ lor of the Coast Guard’s media rela- WLRQVRI¿FHLQ:DVKLQJWRQ'&VDLG site visits were held last November and that a feasibility study involves SRWHQWLDOSRUWVLQWKHJXDUG¶V'LVWULFW ZKLFK LV EDVHG LQ 6HDWWOH DQG FRYHUVWKH3DFL¿F1RUWKZHVW ³8SRQ FRPSOHWLRQ RI WKLV VWXG\ the Coast Guard will evaluate viable ORFDWLRQV EDVHG RQ VHYHUDO IDFWRUV See CUTTER, Page 12A Kevin Michael Burnham JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian ABOVE: A crew member of the Steadfast smiles as he’s greeted on the docks of Astoria. The ship returned to Astoria Saturday morning after a two- month deployment. LEFT: Madison, right, and Leah Hibbs hug Brian Hibbs after the Steadfast docked in Astoria Saturday. The ship returned to Astoria after a two-month deployment. Backlog clogs West Coast ports Thousands of containers will take months to clear By DAN WHEAT Capital Press It will take two to three months to clear a massive backlog of containers at West Coast ports and allow exports and imports WRÀRZDWQRUPDOOHYHOVDJDLQD3DFL¿F Maritime Association spokesman says. A tentative contract agreement be- WZHHQ WKH 30$ DQG WKH ,QWHUQDWLRQ DO /RQJVKRUH DQG :DUHKRXVH 8QLRQ UHDFKHG ODWH )HE HQGHG D QLQH month work slowdown at 30 West &RDVWSRUWVIURP6DQ'LHJRWR6HDWWOH that cost billions of dollars in lost trade. See PORTS, Page 12A 300 million tons 200 West Coast tonnage of containerized cargo, 1980-2013 NOTE: Beginning in 1984 revenue tonnage was reported as the number of TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) multiplied by 17 (average revenue tons per TEU). 265.75 million tons: Up 660.2% from 1980 100 34.96 million tons 0 1980 Source: Pacific Maritime Association Alan Kenaga/Capital Press 1990 2000 2010 2013 Joshua Lee Fitch Two men charged in attempted murder By KATHERINE LACAZE EO Media Group 6($6,'( ² 7ZR PHQ ZHUH DU rested and charged with attempted murder in connection with an incident that occurred about two weeks ago. 2QWKHPRUQLQJRI)HERI¿ FHUVZLWKWKH6HDVLGH3ROLFH'HSDUW PHQW UHVSRQGHG WR 3URYLGHQFH 6HD side Hospital after receiving a report of a man who had sustained a serious head injury. The man reported being assaulted ZLWK KDPPHUV E\ WZR RWKHU PDOHV according a news release from the police department. The victim was ODWHU WUDQVSRUWHG WR D 3RUWODQGDUHD hospital. He had been released from the hospital as of Monday. 7KHSROLFHRI¿FHUVFRQWDFWHG6HD side detectives to investigate the inci- GHQW7KHGHWHFWLYHVLGHQWL¿HG.HYLQ 0LFKDHO%XUQKDPRI6HDVLGHDQG -RVKXD /HH )LWFK RI /RQJYLHZ :DVKDVWKHWZRVXVSHFWV Fitch and Burnham were caught DQGDUUHVWHG)ULGD\LQ6HDVLGHDIWHU DZHHNORQJLQYHVWLJDWLRQWKHUHOHDVH states. They were lodged in Clatsop County Jail on charges of attempted See CHARGED, Page 12A