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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 2018)
T he C olumbia P ress November 16, 2018 Natural gas rates drop for fourth year Northwest Natural Gas customers are paying lower rates starting Nov. 1. It’s the fourth straight year that the cost of natu- ral gas has dropped, and customers still are paying less than they did 15 years ago. New rates for Oregon customers incor- porate the conclusion of the general rate case and the results of the annual pur- chased gas adjustment. Together, the adjustments result in a 2.1 percent or $1.10 savings for an aver- age residential customer using 53 therms per month. Commercial customers will save 2.41 percent or $4.92 per month based on an av- erage usage of 237 therms. “We’re pleased to pass these savings on to customers,” said David H. Anderson, presi- dent and chief executive of NW Natural. “After 10 months of review with regulators and stakeholders, … we look forward to con- tinuing to provide customers with high-qual- ity, affordable service.” 3 Remembering World War I veterans Seized rental truck leads to hypothermia The Columbia Press A man who’d caused a dis- turbance with a towing com- pany attempting to retrieve his long-overdue U-Haul truck was treated for hypo- thermia a few hours later after sleeping on the asphalt in the North Coast Business Park, police reported. Paul Lee Roebuck, 46, with no known address, was tak- en to Columbia Memorial Hospital by Medix after he called for medical assistance at 1:45 a.m. Nov. 9. A few hours earlier, War- renton police were called to assist a company retrieving Public safety calls Continued from Page 2 p.m. Nov. 7, 33200 block Sunset Beach Lane. • Male with possible hypother- mia, 1:45 a.m. Nov. 9, behind 1400 Southeast Discovery Lane. • Male who almost passed out, 9:18 a.m. Nov. 9, 0-100 block North Highway 101. • Intoxicated female, 3:04 a.m. Nov. 10, Shilo Inn. • Male with abdominal pain, 11:44 a.m. Nov. 10, 1900 block Third Avenue. • Female who fell outside store, 3:40 p.m. Nov. 10, 100 block South Highway 101. • Female fall patient, 8:31 p.m. Nov. 11, 200 block Southwest Birch Court. the U-Haul pickup truck Roebuck had rented. The man was refusing to coop- erate with the tow company, according to police. “The U-Haul company had deactivated the pick- up and dispatched Classic Towing to retrieve their ve- hicle,” according to a police report. Police told Roebuck to re- move his necessary person- al items and that he’d have an opportunity to gather the rest of his belongings from the truck later. “Roebuck began throwing trash, clothing, empty bot- tles and other junk items out of the cab,” according to the report. Facing a ticket for offensive littering, he began gathering his items into or- ganized piles and agreed to move along. When police were asked to assist Medix in the back parking lot of TJ Max a few hours later, they found Roebuck had strewn junk throughout the lot. While Medix treated Roe- buck in the ambulance, the officer wrote up a criminal citation for offensive litter- ing with a mandatory court date of Dec. 4. The Columbia Press A Hammond man was ar- rested Nov. 2 after threaten- ing members of his family with a large filet knife, police said. Gary Milton Wood, 58, was booked at Clatsop County Jail on suspicion of domestic vio- lence/menacing and unlawful use of a weapon. Wood is accused of attempt- ing to break into his adult son’s room within the family apartment on Jetty Street. His son, who was locked in the room with his girlfriend, called 9-1-1 to report his fa- ther was outside the door, sharpening a large knife and threatening to kill him, ac- cording to a probable cause declaration filed by police. Wood’s wife told police she was extremely fearful for her family because her husband was yelling “I’m gunna kill you, m—f—” and “You’re gunna die tonight,” according to police. He was making the threats while alternately sharpening the knife and pounding on the door, police said. Wood told police he wanted to speak with his son because the son owned him rent mon- ey. Police had been to the res- idence earlier in the evening to settle a verbal dispute, which was civil at the time, according to the declaration. Unpaid rent leads to death threat Courtesy Debbie Little, VFW Auxiliary Participants in last weekend’s Bells of Peace ceremony at the Veterans monument Ocean Dungeness crab season delayed The traditional Dec. 1 opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season will be delayed until at least Dec. 16 along the entire Or- egon coast, the Oregon De- partment of Agriculture an- nounced Wednesday. Testing shows crabs are too low in meat yield. Commercial Dungeness crab is Oregon’s most valu- able fishery. Last year’s season opening also was delayed, yet still brought in the highest ex-vessel val- ue ever ($74 million) with 23.1 million pounds landed, about 31 percent above the 10-year average. Oregon’s season is tar- geted to open Dec. 1, but can be delayed to ensure a high-quality product for consumers and to avoid wasting the resource. Crab quality testing in ear- ly November showed that the majority didn’t meet the criteria for a Dec. 1 opening. A second round of crab quality testing will occur in late November or early De- cember, and the results will be used to determine if the season should open Dec. 16. Near-shore commercial and recreational harvesting is open in bays, estuaries and from jetties and piers north of Cape Blanco. In conjunction with the delayed ocean commercial season, commercial harvest of Dungeness crab in Ore- gon bays will close at 12:01 a.m. Dec. 1, but may reopen if the ocean commercial fishery opens in December. The latest information on closures is available by call- ing the ODA shellfish safety information hotline at 800- 448-2474.
