A2 THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 IN BRIEF County unemployment rate 3.9% in July Clatsop County’s unemployment rate was 3.9% in July. The seasonally adjusted rate was up slightly from a revised 3.8% in June and down from 5.7% in July 2021. The state unemployment rate was 3.5% in July, according to Oregon Employment Department, the same as the national rate. Warrenton awards contracts for paving, waterline project WARRENTON — The City Commission voted Tuesday to hire Bayview Asphalt, a paving contrac- tor from Seaside, to complete an asphalt overlay to 11 streets in Hammond and Warrenton. The work, at an estimated cost of $588,268, will be completed this summer and into early fall. The commission also awarded a contract to Mur- raysmith, a public infrastructure engineering fi rm from Portland, to assist with project management, design and permitting for a waterline project from Fred Meyer to downtown. The city will pay the consultant a total not exceeding $242,469. Restrictions placed on salmon fi shing Recreational retention of Chinook salmon was pro- hibited on Tuesday in ocean waters from Leadbetter Point to Cape Falcon. The National Marine Fisheries Service, Oregon and Washington state announced the action on Mon- day following a joint meeting. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said the guidelines aim to allow the coho salmon season to continue while accounting for incidental hook and release mortality of Chinook. Estimates through Sunday indicate 1,464 remaining Chinook for the guideline, and 44,000 coho salmon remaining in the quota. This area will still be open for adipose fi n-clipped coho salmon through Sept. 30, or until the quota of 84,000 is reached. Fishery managers have added three retention days for white sturgeon on the Columbia River between the Wauna powerlines and Bonneville Dam. The adopted days are Sept. 10, Sept. 14 and Sept. 17. The bag limit is one white sturgeon per day, with a maximum of two per year. They must have a fork length of 44 to 50 inches. — The Astorian DEATHS Aug. 22, 2022 died in Seaside. Caldwell’s In HALL, Brief: Aug. 25, Mortuary of Cindy Jane, Luce-Layton 54, of Hammond, died Astoria is in charge of the in Hammond. Caldwell’s arrangements. 2022 Luce-Layton Mortuary of Aug. 19, 2022 Astoria is in charge of the CLAYTON, Kama Deaths arrangements. Lynn, 60, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Hughes-Ran- som Mortuary is in charge of the arrangements. ON THE RECORD Theft driving. Delriofi dalgo was On the • Erland James Record Fahl- allegedly involved in a car strom, 35, of Warrenton, was arrested on Tuesday at Fred Meyer in Warren- ton for second-degree theft and fi rst-degree criminal trespass. • Jimmy Leroy Nick- ell, 46, of Warrenton, was arrested on Monday near Fred Meyer in Warrenton for second-degree theft. • William Walter Ste- phenson, 34, of Port Orchard, Washington, was arrested on Sunday at Walmart in Warrenton for second-degree theft and third-degree criminal mischief. DUII • Yovanni Raul Delri- ofi dalgo, 36, of Nehalem, was arrested on Monday on U.S. Highway 26 near Osweg Creek for driv- ing under the infl uence of intoxicants and reckless crash. • Dominix Amond Parker, 51, of Clackamas, was arrested on Sunday on U.S. Highway 30 in Asto- ria for DUII and reckless driving. • Randy Neal Romine, 65, of Portland, was arrested on Sunday on U.S. Highway 30 near Bradley State Scenic Viewpoint for DUII and reckless driving. • Rage Omar Hussein, 23, of the Seattle-Tacoma area, was arrested on Aug. 18 on U.S. Highway 101 in Seaside for DUII and reckless driving. • Christopher Lambert Hays, 34, of Seaside, was arrested on Aug. 15 on U.S. Highway 101 Busi- ness for DUII and reck- less driving. Hays was allegedly involved in a two-vehicle crash. PUBLIC MEETINGS TUESDAY Gearhart City Council, 6:30 p.m., work session, (electronic meeting). PUBLIC MEETINGS Established July 1, 1873 (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 Circulation phone number: 800-781-3214 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, 2022 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. Luke Whittaker/Chinook Observer Ken Conrad, of Seattle, fl ies a classic kite during the Washington International Kite Festival last week in Long Beach. Oregonians can soon qualify for new rebates on electric vehicles A component of the landmark Infl ation Reduction Act By MONICA SAMAYOA Oregon Public Broadcasting Fishery managers add sturgeon fi shing days Aug. 20, 2022 ROGERS, Luther Easy, 75, of Manzanita, KITE FEST SOARS Printed on recycled paper Oregonians looking to buy a new electric vehi- cle could qualify for up to $7,500 in federal rebates after passage of a climate package , on top of the $7,500 in rebates the state already off ers for some buyers. The landmark Infl a- tion Reduction Act recently signed into law is being cel- ebrated as one of the biggest climate investments in U.S. history. It’s slated to invest $369 billion in clean energy and climate action. The law allows households with low-to-moderate income to get up to $7,500 in federal tax credits for a new electric vehicle or $4,000 for a used one. “One of the great things about this bill is that it does give everyone through both new vehicle purchases and through credits towards used vehicles the opportunity to participate in this process,” Brenda Mallory, the c hair of the Council on Environmen- tal Quality, said. Mallory and her team advise President Joe Biden on environmental and nat- ural resource policy, with a focus on environmental jus- tice and climate change. There are some caveats to qualify for the full amount of the federal tax credits, including household income, where the electric car was made and a price cap. But overall, Mallory said the tax credits will allow more people with lower incomes a chance to buy an electric vehicle. Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo Electric vehicles charging at a shopping center in California. Oregonians can qual- ify for state rebates as well. The state already has two electric vehicle rebates. The s tandard r ebate off ers up to $2,500 back to anyone who purchases a new battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid under $50,000. The c harge a head r ebate applies to households that make $51,000 to $251,000 a year depending on the household size. Those who qualify can get up to $5,000 in rebates for purchasing or leasing a new or used battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle. Combined, Oregonians who meet the qualifi cations could get up to an additional $7,500 back through the state. “Oregon has one of the best comprehensive electric vehicle rebates out there,” Rachel Sakata, the senior air quality adviser for the Ore- gon Department of Environ- mental Quality, said. The program is designed to encourage residents to purchase or lease electric vehicles to reduce green- house gas emissions state- wide. A state report in 2020 found the transportation sec- tor accounted for 40% of the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest single source in the state. Sakata said having both Harbor: Number of people seeking services triples Continued from Page A1 “Just having those con- versations and building that trust and kind of like being that bridge,” Romero said. “We’re hoping that people know where to go.” The number of people seeking The Harbor’s ser- vices has more than tripled since the start of the corona- virus pandemic, mainly due to more outreach to the His- panic community, Romero said. Allan Lazo, the e xec- utive director of the Fair Housing Council, said the organization partnered with The Harbor on hir- ing a housing navigator because it has an intersec- tion with members of pro- tected classes, like the His- panic community. The h ousing c ouncil is trying to create regional partnerships to help people access local resources. The Harbor is their fi rst regional partner outside of Portland . “They were ready to go with a housing navigator, have a population that we are anxious to make sure is being served, and so it worked out great that they were ready as a partner,” Lazo said. Romero said the role of the housing navigator inter- sects with the role of the community health worker and they will collaborate frequently. Subscription rates Eff ective January 12, 2021 MAIL EZpay (per month) ...............................................................................................................$10.75 13 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$37.00 26 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance ........................................................................................................ $135.00 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.25 the federal and state pro- grams available for Orego- nians is a game changer. But people interested in buying a new or used electric vehi- cle will have to look at what they qualify for to receive rebates. Sakata said for Ore- gon, the state has a tool to help people determine how much they can get back and which car dealers can accept the voucher on the spot. Also, Oregonians are not limited to one car per house- hold. Anyone who qualifi es can purchase as many elec- tric vehicles per household as they want. “We do have a require- ment though that you must maintain ownership of the electric vehicle for at least two years, and you must maintain that registration in Oregon,” Sakata said. “We do want you to buy it. W e do want you to use it here.” Oregonians who buy electric vehicles need to apply for the rebates within six months of purchase. If they sell their electric vehi- cle prior to the two-year requirement, they have to return some of the rebate money. To date, $55.5 million has been awarded through the Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, with $14 million awarded this year. The program is contributing to Gov. Kate Brown’s goal of having at least 250,000 registered electric vehicles in the state by 2025. There are now more than 50,000. Sakata said the federal tax credit could help the state reach its goal before 2025 as there will be a range of models and prices as more car manufacturers begin to dip into the electric vehicle market “You’re starting to see the electric pickup trucks com- ing online, you’re starting to see more SUVs that are very popular being electric,” she said. “There’s going to be momentum for the man- ufacturers to make lower priced EVs so then people can aff ord to purchase them who may not normally.” Meanwhile, the Oregon Department of Transpor- tation is pledging to invest $100 million to build out a charging infrastructure along the state’s major road- ways with a focus on disad- vantaged communities and rural communities over the next fi ve years. Matt Noble, an ODOT spokesman, said the agency plans to invest $65 mil- lion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to build out fast-charging sta- tions along i nterstates 5, 84, 82, and U.S. highways 26, 101, 20 and 97. The agency plans to spend $36 million to fi ll the gaps beyond these major roadways with a focus on disadvantaged communi- ties and rural communities. “So, we’re leaving the federal money for the major roads and major corridors because they have a really solid federal plan for that,” he said. “But for us, we’re going to focus our state funding on our community charging as well.” WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 “If somebody’s lost their housing, of course their health is going to decrease as well,” she said. “It’s going to get an impact. 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