3A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2018
Gearhart could
ban plastic bags
Recycling
effort gains
momentum
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian
GEARHART — Last Sep-
tember, Manzanita became the
first city on the North Coast to
enact a plastic bag ban.
At the suggestion of City
Councilor Paulina Cockrum,
Gearhart may follow suit.
“It kind of came to me with
the Dollar General going in,
I wonder if they’ll have those
plastic bags I’m trying not to
use and see them everywhere
in the wetlands,” Cockrum said.
“I wonder if we should consider
banning plastic bags. This is
stuff that birds and wildlife and
who knows what all are eating.”
Mayor Matt Brown and City
Councilors Dan Jesse, Reita
Fackerell and Kerry Smith sup-
ported the concept of a plas-
tic bag ban. “I have no problem
banding behind that,” Jesse said.
City Administrator Chad
Sweet said he will research sim-
ilar ordinances throughout the
state.
In July, Seattle became the
first city to ban plastic straws and
utensils in bars and restaurants.
Portland already has recy-
cling rules for grocery bags and
prohibits plastic single-use bags
by retailers or food vendors at
customer checkout.
Other Oregon cities banning
plastic bags include Ashland,
Eugene, Hood River and New-
port, among others.
Manzanita’s effort started
after a discussion between a
board member of the local recy-
cling center and a resident who
said she was “shocked” at the
amount of plastic debris she saw
on Manzanita’s beach.
The Manzanita ban applies
to all stores and vendors within
the city.
Gearhart councilors are pre-
paring to “discuss the possi-
bilities” of a plastic bag ban,
Sweet said. “Once they do their
research they’ll look at getting
on the agenda,” he said.
Not a drive-thru
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Maria Avelar, general manager of El Compadre Restaurant in Warrenton, talks on the phone while surveying damage
to the building after a vehicle crashed into it early Tuesday.
Dems see opportunity in Washington races
By RACHEL LA CORTE
Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Dem-
ocrats were celebrating early
returns in three congressional
races in Washington state’s pri-
mary election, but Republicans
said they were confident their
party would hold on to all three
seats in November.
Tina Podlodowski, chair-
woman of the state Democratic
Party, said that even though
many more votes need to be
counted, the early returns Tues-
day night show that “nothing
is guaranteed” for incumbent
Republicans as Democrats
showed strength that could
carry through to November.
“Democrats are within
striking distance of picking up
three congressional seats,” she
said.
In two of the districts —
the 3rd and the 8th — Dem-
ocratic candidates combined
were taking more of the vote
than the GOP candidates in
early returns.
Washington is a vote-by-
mail state, and voters had a
deadline of 8 p.m. to have their
ballot postmarked or placed
in a drop box. In some of the
more competitive races, results
may not be known for days as
most counties will update vote
counts only once a day.
Just over 24 percent of
the vote had been counted
by Tuesday night. State GOP
chairman Caleb Heimlich said
that “it’s still too early to come
to any big conclusions.”
“The eyes of the nation
will be on those three seats,”
he said. “We will do the hard
work and we will connect vot-
ers and keep those seats in
Republican hands.”
The contest getting the
most attention is an open U.S.
House seat Democrats hope to
capture for the first time since
the district east of Seattle was
created in 1980. Incumbent
Republican U.S. Rep. Dave
Reichert is retiring from the
8th Congressional District
after more than a decade.
Republican Dino Rossi, a
former state senator who had
unsuccessful runs for gover-
nor and U.S. Senate, was lead-
ing a crowded ballot and eas-
ily advanced to the general
election.
Under Washington’s pri-
mary system, the top two vote
getters go on to November,
regardless of party.
Among the dozen can-
didates on the ballot, one of
three Democrats are expected
to advance: pediatrician Kim
Schrier, attorney Jason Rit-
tereiser, or former federal pub-
lic-health official Shannon
Hader. Schrier took an early
lead among the group Tuesday
night for the second spot, fol-
lowed closely by Rittereiser. In
early returns, the three Dem-
ocrats combined had a larger
vote total than Rossi, giving
Democrats hope they’ll consol-
idate that support in November.
The other nine U.S. House
seats were also contested in
the primary, with the incum-
bents advancing to the general
election.
In the 5th Congressional
District in eastern Washington,
Republican incumbent Cathy
McMorris Rodgers advanced,
along with Democrat Lisa
Brown, a former chancel-
lor of Washington State Uni-
versity who previously served
as majority leader in the state
Senate. Brown and McMor-
ris Rodgers were nearly tied in
early returns.
The expected face-off
between McMorris Rodg-
ers and Brown in Novem-
ber has seen a flurry of televi-
sion attack ads in the Spokane
market.
In the 3rd Congressional
District, incumbent Republi-
can Rep. Jaime Herrera Beut-
ler advanced along with Demo-
crat Carolyn Long, a professor
at Washington State University
Vancouver. In early returns,
Herrera Beutler had a slim lead
over Long. Herrera Beutler has
won her last two elections with
more than 60 percent of the
vote.
In the one statewide race
on the ballot, Democratic
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and
Republican Susan Hutchison
both advanced to the Novem-
ber ballot, with Cantwell tak-
ing a large share of the votes in
early returns.
Consult a
PROFESSIONAL
Q: What do I do if I
haven’t received
my new Medicare
card yet?
Steve Putman
A: Cards are now in the mail
for Oregon residents but
not yet for Washington. You can
Medicare Products check by logging on to your
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503-440-1076 your card has been mailed you’ll
be able to see your new number
Licensed in Oregon
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and Washington
card. You can also call the Medi-
putmanagency@gmail.com care hotline at 800-633-4227.
Q: Does oral
health affect
overall health?
you probably under-
A: Although
stand that poor dental care
Ohio, Kansas elections too close to call after primaries
By STEVE PEOPLES and
JULIE CARR SMYTH
Associated Press
WESTERVILLE,
Ohio
— Two high-stakes elections
that tested President Donald
Trump’s clout and cost both
parties millions of dollars
were too close to call early
today. Trump claimed victory
in one nevertheless and pro-
claimed himself ‘5 for 5’ on
the night.
In battleground Ohio,
the president took credit for
Republican Troy Balderson’s
performance, calling it “a
great victory,” even though
the congressional contest
could be headed to a recount.
Democrats could also cele-
brate their showing in the dis-
trict that has gone Republican
for decades.
“We’re not stopping now,”
Democrat Danny O’Con-
nor told cheering supporters.
He’ll reprise his campaign
against Balderson from now
through November’s general
election.
In Kansas, the Republican
primary for governor was too
close to call.
With election officials halt-
ing the vote count this morn-
ing, Secretary of State Kris
Kobach led incumbent Gov.
Jeff Colyer by fewer than 200
votes. It could be several days
before all absentee votes are
counted.
The day’s races in five
states, like many before them,
tested the persistence of
Trump’s fiery supporters and
the momentum of the Dem-
ocratic Party’s anti-Trump
resistance.
The results were helping
determine the political land-
scape — and Trump’s stand-
ing within his own party —
as the GOP defends its House
and Senate majorities this fall.
In Kansas, Republicans
were fighting among them-
selves in an unusual battle for
governor in which the pres-
ident sided with the incum-
bent’s challenger.
A new state law allows bal-
lots postmarked as of Tuesday
to be counted, so long as they
arrive within three days of
Election Day.
Kobach received a late
endorsement from Trump.
Colyer received the endorse-
ment of the National Rifle
Association and had the back-
ing of Kansas political legend
Bob Dole.
Should the polarizing
Kobach win the primary,
some Republican operatives
fear he could lose the gov-
ernorship to Democrats this
fall. The race could become
further disrupted if Kan-
sas City-area businessman
Greg Orman makes it onto
the November ballot. He
submitted petitions Monday
with more than 10,000 signa-
tures for what could become
the most serious independent
run for Kansas governor in
decades.
Trump made his prefer-
ence clear for Kobach.
“He is a fantastic guy who
loves his State and our Coun-
try - he will be a GREAT
Governor and has my full &
total Endorsement! Strong on
Crime, Border & Military,”
the president tweeted on the
eve of the election.
In Kansas’ 3rd Congressio-
nal District, Sharice Davids
became the state’s first Native
American and gay nominee
for Congress.
The 38-year-old attor-
ney and activist prevailed in
a close six-candidate Demo-
cratic primary and will face
four-term Republican Rep.
Kevin Yoder.
Davids edged labor lawyer
Brent Welder, who received
the endorsements and a June
campaign visit from Vermont
Sen. Bernie Sanders and New
York House candidate Alex-
andria Ocasio-Cortez.
503/325-0310
1414 MARINE DRIVE,
ASTORIA
www.smileastoria.com
Q: Tips for safe
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A: If a joint,
use ice; it reduces
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503-440-2169
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Make sure your firewall is running.
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Q: Should I use heat
WANTED
Call me
ti
Any
can lead to cavities, did you know
that other, more serious health
problems can also result from poor
oral care ? The truth is that if you
don’t take proper care of your teeth
you could face far more serious
consequences that a simple tooth-
ache or some unsightly stains. You
could face Cardiovascular Disease,
Dementia Respiratory Infection
and Diabetic Complications
and more.
JEFFREY M. LEINASSAR
DMD, FAGD
LICENSED
BONDED
INSURED
CCB#179131
ASTORIA
CHIROPRACTIC
Barry Sears, D.C.
503-325-3311
2935 Marine Drive
Astoria, Oregon
inflammation and pain and
shortens healing time. You can get
a burn from ice just like with heat,
so don’t leave it on for more than
20 minutes. Most problems get
better more quickly with ice. Heat
feels good, but may seriously
make problems worse. As long
as there is pain and/or swelling,
continue ice; it can be done as
often as once an hour. Would you
heat a cut? No, because it would
keep bleeding —that is what
happens inside where you can’t
see it.