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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 22, 2019)
146TH YEAR, NO. 189 WEEKEND EDITION // FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019 ONE DOLLAR Murder convictions overturned criminal mistreatment. But he also argued the toddler who died had MRSA — methicillin-resis- tant Staphylococcus aureus — that brought about sepsis and organ failure, and what appeared to be bite marks were wounds from the infection. The appeals court reversed the homicide-related convictions and sent the case back to Clatsop County Circuit Court. The con- victions that were reversed are expected to be retried. District Attorney Ron Brown, who prosecuted Roden, said when he received the news during a meeting, it felt like “a gut punch.” “I didn’t hear another word in the meeting,” Brown said. “It really did just destroy my day.” Judges concerned by bite-mark testimony Wing and the abuse of her two brothers. In a ruling on Wednesday, the The Oregon Court of Appeals appeals court found the prosecu- tion failed to present an has overturned the mur- der convictions of a Sea- adequate scientific foun- dation for the expert testi- side man who was found mony on bite marks found guilty of killing his girl- friend’s 2-year-old daugh- on the victims. ter, ruling that bite-mark While the state con- ceded that admitting the testimony should not have evidence was an error, the been allowed as evidence Evangelina state Department of Jus- at his trial. Wing tice argued there was little Randy Lee Roden was sentenced to nearly 40 likelihood it influenced the years in prison in 2016 after a jury jury’s verdicts. The appeals court found him guilty of murder by found that the bite-mark testimony abuse, felony murder, manslaugh- was harmless to Roden’s assault ter, assault and criminal mistreat- and criminal mistreatment convic- ment in the death of Evangelina tions, but undermined his defense By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Randy Roden exits the courtroom after his verdict is read in 2016. on the homicide-related counts. Roden’s attorney had mostly blamed Dorothy Wing, the chil- dren’s mother, for the assault and See Murder, Page A7 Country Media re-acquires the Cannon Beach Gazette T aking care of TRAILS The Daily Astorian Country Media Inc. has reached an agreement with EO Media Group to re-acquire the Cannon Beach Gazette. The transaction is effective May 1. Terms were not disclosed. Country Media is a family-owned media corporation based in Salem, whose principal shareholders are Carol and Steve Hungerford. Over the past two decades, the company has acquired 13 newspapers and related websites in Montana, North Dakota and Oregon. The company owned the Gazette from 2006 to 2013, when the news- paper was acquired by EO Media Group, the parent company of The Daily Astorian. “We’re particularly fond of The Gazette,” said Steve Hun- gerford. “It was our first Oregon newspaper.” “This will be a great opportunity to rekindle the relationships we enjoyed so much for the half-dozen years we were in Cannon Beach.” Country Media also publishes newspapers in Lincoln City, Tilla- mook, Manzanita, St. Helens and Clatskanie. See Gazette, Page A7 Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Jennifer Sutter clears debris from part of a hiking trail while volunteering for Trailkeepers of Oregon. See the photo gallery on A5 and a video online at dailyastorian.com ‘THIS WILL BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REKINDLE THE RELATIONSHIPS WE ENJOYED SO MUCH FOR THE HALF-DOZ- EN YEARS WE WERE IN CANNON BEACH.’ Steve Hungerford, principal shareholder Home Bakery to close store Bakery is known for cinnamon toast By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian The 109-year-old Home Baking Co. will close its storefront on March 30. Jim Tilander, 66, who co-owns the bakery with his wife, Kathryn, said the move will allow him to cut his hours and transition into retirement. The bakery is still for sale. The couple will also focus on their wholesale business sending Astoria Cinnamon Toast to regional grocery stores. “I’m going to sell the Astoria Cinnamon Toast on a wholesale level for the most part, other than my internet sales,” Tilander said. “I’m just going to focus on that at this time, and I’m going to cease on the retail sales.” Since opening in 1910, Home Baking has made tra- ditional Finnish cinnamon toast. The bakery will put out between 300 and 900 loaves of the cinnamon toast a week to regional grocery stores, Tilander said. He is searching for local opera- tions to carry the popular bread. Home Baking was started by Finnish immi- grants Elmer Wallo, Char- lie Jarvanin and Arthur A. Tilander, whose brother went down with the Titanic on his way over to be a part- ner. It has been run by the Tilanders since the 1940s. The 5,000-square-foot, 1928 storefront on Marine Drive has been listed for $400,000 with local real estate agent Victor Kee. The entire business, including the building, name, equip- ment and online presence, is available for $650,000. Astoria’s other long- time bakery, Danish Maid, closed in 2017 after the death of co-owner and baker John Lindstrom. A new generation of bakeries, such as The Naked Lemon and Table 360 Bakery & Bistro, have opened down- town, joining the coopera- tive Blue Scorcher Bakery & Cafe. Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Jim Tilander, co-owner of Home Baking Co. with his wife, Kathryn, said he is closing his storefront at the end of the month.