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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2021)
A2 THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021 IN BRIEF STRATEGIC SHOTS Pacifi c County reports three new virus deaths LONG BEACH, Wash. — The coronavirus pandemic continues to take its toll locally, as Pacifi c County’s death count nearly doubled just a few days into the new year. The Pacifi c County Health and Human Services Department announced Monday that three more county residents have died due to complications of COVID-19, raising the overall count to seven deaths attributed to the county since the pandemic began. “Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of these individuals during this time of loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Pacifi c County Health Offi cer Dr. Steven Krager said in a statement. — Chinook Observer Oregon struggles with vaccine rollout State health care offi cials acknowledged on Tuesday that Oregon’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout has been plagued with problems — something the state is scram- bling to fi x. The vaccine rollout proved to be more complex than past fl u vaccination and mass vaccination events, said Oregon Health Authority Chief Medical Offi cer Dana Hargunani. This rollout “imposes operational complexities that we are continuing to address,” Hargunani said. The announcement came a day after Gov. Kate Brown asked the agency to ramp up capacity. By the end of two weeks, she wants 12,000 people a day to be vaccinated against the coronavirus in Oregon. The health authority planned to vaccinate 100,000 health care workers by the end of 2020. Six days into the new year, it’s just halfway to that goal. — Oregon Public Broadcasting New county commissioners and sheriff sworn in Photos by Hailey Hoff man/ The Astorian Courtney Bangs and John Toyooka were sworn in Tuesday as Clatsop County commissioners. Bangs, a Knappa preschool teacher, represents Dis- trict 4, which covers eastern Astoria to Westport. She defeated Kathleen Sullivan in the May election. Toyooka, a manager at Lum’s Auto Center, represents District 2, which includes Gearhart, Clatsop Plains and portions of Seaside and Warrenton. He defeated Sarah Nebeker in May. Sheriff Matt Phillips was sworn in on Monday at the Clatsop County Courthouse. Phillips has served as interim sheriff since January 2020. He was unopposed for election. County seeking applications for comprehensive plan committees Clatsop County is seeking applications for compre- hensive plan update advisory committees. The county is looking for representatives from Lewis and Clark Olney Wallooskee, Elsie-Jewell, Seaside Rural, Northeast, Southwest Coastal and Clatsop Plains planning areas to provide recommendations to staff updating the county’s six community plans and the com- prehensive plan. The comprehensive plan is a long-term land use vision for the unincorporated areas of the county and sets plan- ning policies that guide the county’s actions. This is the fi rst update since the county adopted its comprehensive plan in 1979. The six Planning Area Citizen Advisory Committees will meet monthly until the county Board of Commis- sioners adopt the plan in 2023. People can apply on the county’s website or at the county manager’s offi ce at 800 Exchange St., Suite 410 in Astoria. The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. on Feb. 12. — The Astorian DEATHS Jan. 2, 2021 In TYMKOWICZ, Brief Jana Lynn, 36, of Warrenton, died in Astoria. Caldwell’s Deaths Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. Dec. 31, 2020 DANKS, Jeffrey Mason, 61, of Warrenton, died in Warrenton. Cald- well’s Luce-Layton Mor- tuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. ON THE RECORD Theft Warrenton for theft in the On the Record • Jacob Wieckow- second degree. ski, 36, of Seaside, was arrested Tuesday at Walmart in Warrenton for theft in the second degree. • Lacey Meneguzzi, 25, of Astoria, was arrested Monday at Walmart in Criminal trespass • John Marshall Lan- caster, 60, of Astoria, was arrested Monday on W. Marine Drive in Astoria for criminal trespass in the second degree. THURSDAY Astoria Design Review Commission, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, 1095 Duane St. Cannon Beach City Council, 5:30 p.m., work session, (electronic meeting). PUBLIC MEETINGS (USPS 035-000) Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by EO Media Group, 949 Exchange St., PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Telephone 503-325-3211, 800-781-3211 or Fax 503-325-6573. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Astorian, PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103-0210 DailyAstorian.com Schools vary in return to classrooms By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Astorian Clatsop County school districts have gone in several different directions since Gov. Kate Brown eased state restrictions on when and how students return to classrooms. Ahead of schools’ win- ter break, the governor announced state guidelines for returning to school — such as the local number of positive coronavirus cases — would be “advisory rather than mandatory,” leaving the decision up to individual dis- tricts and schools. Like many counties across Oregon, Clatsop County has been classifi ed as either high risk or extreme risk since the end of Novem- ber due to the number and rate of positive cases. While some school districts have begun to shift their opera- tions to take advantage of the new fl exibility offered by the state, most are still consider- ing what they will do. District administrators said they had expected a shift in how schools would be allowed to reopen to students, but the timing of Brown’s decision right before winter break caught many off guard. The Astoria School Dis- trict, which has started to plan for a gradual reopening later this month and in Feb- ruary, expects to discuss the shift in guidelines at a board meeting this month. For now, the district is continu- ing with nearly all students in online classrooms. The Seaside School Dis- Schools hope to return to in-person classes. trict’s board had voted ahead of Brown’s announcement to continue with distance learn- ing across all grades until Feb. 1. “At that time, our lead- ership team will review the case counts in Clatsop County in hopes of seeing a trend in declining cases,” Superintendent Susan Pen- rod said in an email to The Astorian at the end of December. “At this time we are still following this plan. ” In the the Knappa School District, some students returned to classrooms for the fi rst time this school year following winter break. In a letter to the com- munity posted on the dis- trict’s website, however, Bill Fritz, the superintendent , announced that four employ- ees were in quarantine over the virus. Three had been exposed to the virus over the break but were showing no symp- toms. One non teaching staff member had tested positive and had symptoms but was “faring OK ,” according to Fritz. “We are able to operate with these people on leave,” he wrote. He noted that county met- rics showed an increase in positive cases over the prior week. But for now, the dis- trict has opted to allow the youngest grades in class- rooms fi ve days a week. Fourth-through-eighth grad- ers are in class for less time and are still operating with distance learning. Higher grades are under a hybrid instruction model. The Warrenton-Ham- mond School District allowed some of its students to return at least on a limited basis to classrooms ahead of the governor’s announce- ment, but now hopes to begin expanding in-class- room options beginning next week for some lower grade levels. In a video posted to the grade school’s Facebook page, p rincipal Rod Heyen announced the school would be adding an extra day of in-person instruction for k indergarten-through-third grade students. These stu- dents will now attend school fi ve days a week. The district hopes to phase in grades four through fi ve under a hybrid model that combines online and in-person classes beginning next week. Many of these students were already going to classrooms on a very lim- ited basis. What a return to school will look like for the higher grades is not clear yet, Superintendent Tom Rogozinski said. The Jewell School Dis- trict is one of the few in the county that because of its size and location was able to open fully to students at the start of the school year. Now, despite the easing of restric- tions by the state, it is operat- ing entirely under a distance learning model. A middle school student tested positive for the coro- navirus in early December. The district announced some cohorts in two grade lev- els would pivot to distance learning as a precaution. But after attendance dropped dramatically fol- lowing the announcement, the school, in consultation with the state and local pub- lic health offi cials, decided to move all students into dis- tance learning. Ahead of the New Year’s holiday, Jon Wood, the principal at Jewell School, announced that the school would continue with dis- tance learning through Jan. 18. Highway 30 restricted to one lane after slide PUBLIC MEETINGS Established July 1, 1873 TOP: Astoria Fire Chief Dan Crutchfi eld receives the vaccine to prevent the coronavirus at the Astoria Armory on Tuesday. RIGHT: Pharmacist Ben Ren gives Astoria Police Chief Geoff Spalding the vaccine to prevent the coronavirus. Circulation phone number: 503-325-3211 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR ADVERTISING OWNERSHIP All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by The Astorian become the property of The Astorian and may not be reproduced for any use without explicit prior approval. COPYRIGHT © Entire contents © Copyright, 2021 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. Printed on recycled paper Subscription rates Eff ective May 1, 2019 MAIL (IN COUNTY) EZpay (per month) ...............................................................................................................$11.25 13 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$37.00 26 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance ........................................................................................................ $135.00 Out of County Rates available at 800-781-3214 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.00 By NICOLE BALES The Astorian U.S. Highway 30 was restricted to one lane east of Astoria after a land- slide closed the highway on Monday. Lou Torres, a spokes- man for Oregon Depart- ment of Transportation, said there is no estimate on when both lanes will reopen . He said crews could be work- ing on the slide for most of the week. “We appreciate every- one’s patience as we work to make that area safer for travelers,” Torres said in an email. The landslide occurred at about 3:30 a.m. on Monday a few miles east of the city. Torres said crews were able to do an initial cleanup just enough to open the road after about an hour . DeWayne Harkless Sr. Crews worked to clean up a rockslide. “But when daylight came and we continued to work on the slide, we noticed that there was an area on the steep slope above that con- cerned us,” he said. “So, we brought in ODOT geologists to assess the situation and determine what to do next. We were concerned for the safety of the crew, and as well as travelers. We want to make sure it is as safe as possible when we open the road.” The Knappa Fire Dis- trict responded to the slide area at about 7:30 a.m. after a pickup truck was stuck by debris. One person was in the vehicle and was taken to a hospital by ambulance. Oregon Department of Transportation crews doing mitigation efforts and clean- ing debris discovered that more extensive repairs were required and shut down the highway indefi nitely by late morning. Torres said the main con- tributing factor of the slide was heavy rain combined with the steep hillside. “There was some logging that was done in the area a number of years ago but it is always diffi cult to say how much that contributed,” Tor- res said. “The weather and geography are usually the main contributing factors to slides on the coast and in the Coast Range.”
