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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (May 29, 2020)
T he C olumbia P ress 2 May 29, 2020 Public safety calls t hefts and Burglaries • Shoplifting, 9:36 p.m. May 15, Fred Meyer. Corey E. Jones, 26, of Astoria was cited for sec- ond-degree theft and criminal trespassing after she allegedly left the store but was caught in the parking lot by police with $158 in speakers, phone cards, and shoes. • Shoplifting, 10:52 p.m. May 17, Fred Meyer. Mako L. Peter- son, 46, of Portland was cited for third-degree theft and an outstanding warrant after she The week ahead allegedly attempted to leave the store without paying for $55 in clothes. • Shoplifting, 10:52 p.m. May 17, Fred Meyer. Emilee K. Doolittle, 31, of Happy Valley was cited for second-degree theft and criminal trespassing after she allegedly attempted to leave the store without paying for $230 in mer- chandise, including an electric toothbrush. • Shoplifting, 2:25 p.m. May 23, Walmart. Amanda K. Rowden, 32, of Warrenton was cited for second-degree theft after she allegedly attempted to leave the store without paying for $161 in clothes and drinks. s uspiCious CirCuMstanCes / M onday , J une 1 • Astoria City Council, 7 p.m. via Zoom. Visit the city’s website for details. t uesday , J une 2 • Port of Astoria Com- mission, 5:30 p.m., via Zoom videoconference. Call 503-741-3300 for details. W ednesday , J une 3 • Gearhart City Council, 7 p.m., via GoToMeeting. See website for details. disturBanCes • Man walking into traffic, 1:02 p.m. May 22, Harbor Drive near Youngs Bay Plaza. • Domestic disturbance, 3:43 p.m. May 23, Highway 26 at Ju- bilee Road. Oregon State Police and sheriff’s deputies stood by while one party retrieved per- sonal items. V ehiCles • Vehicle into retaining wall, 12:19 p.m. May 16, Ninth Street west of Southwest Cedar Ave- nue. James C. Cartwright, 36, of Warrenton was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants. • Traffic stop, 7:43 p.m. May 19, 1300 block Northwest Warren- ton Drive. David Dean Fisher Jr., 43, no known address, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxi- cants, refusing to take a breath test, reckless driving, failure to install an ignition interlock device, driving while suspended and having no insurance. He was booked at Clatsop County Jail. • Vehicle into embankment, no injuries, 1:06 p.m. May 20, Highway 26 near Saddle Moun- tain turnoff. • Vehicle vs deer, 9:46 p.m. May 22, Highway 26, 1 mile east of Highway 101. The driver, a 46-year-old Oregon City man, was cited for driving too fast and having an open container of alcohol. • Speeding, 5:14 p.m. May 23, South Main Avenue at 10th Place. Driver cited for going 45 in a 35 mph zone, driving without a license and having no insurance. • Multiple violations, 7:54 p.m. May 23, Highway 30 at Valley Creek Lane, Knappa. Jamie Hill, 41, city not given, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants. • Traffic stop, 8:56 p.m. May 24, South Main Avenue at Whiskey Road. Driver cited for having no insurance or license. • Traffic stop, 10:23 p.m. May 24, Harbor Drive at Neptune Avenue. Driver cited for driving while suspended and having no insurance. • Traffic stop, 6:26 a.m. May 25, South Main Avenue at Ninth Street. Brandon D. May, 47, of Warrenton was cited for criminal failure to carry and present a license, driving while suspended and having no insurance. • Traffic stop, 11:43 p.m. May 25, Ridge Road at KOA. Driver cited for driving while suspended and having no insurance. f ire and serViCe Calls • Transformer fire, 8 a.m. May 21, Pacific Drive at Seventh Avenue. • Fire alarm, 2:12 p.m. May 22, 1100 block Southeast Flightline Drive. • Unattended bonfire, 1 a.m. May 24, Hammond viewpoint. M ediCal Calls • Medical assistance, 8:29 p.m. May 20, 600 block Alternate Highway 101. • Medical assistance, 2:23 a.m. May 21, 900 block King Salmon Place. • Medical assistance, 8:57 a.m. May 21, 800 block Fifth Avenue. • Medical assistance, 3:28 p.m. May 22, 100 block Alternate Highway 101. • Medical assistance, 3:08 a.m. May 23, 0-100 block Southwest Main Court. • Medical assistance, 10:29 p.m. May 23, 100 block Northwest Fourth Street. • Medical assistance, 11:25 p.m. May 23, 100 block Southwest Gardenia Avenue. • Medical assistance, 5:29 p.m. May 24, 0-100 block Alternate Highway 101. • Medical assistance, 11:59 p.m. May 24, 90900 block Highway 101. • Medical assistance, 1 a.m. May 25, Jetty Road. • Medical assistance, 8:01 p.m. May 25, 300 block Marlin Ave- nue. • Medical assistance, 12:04 a.m. May 26, 100 block Northwest Fourth Street. Employment Department vows to do better C latsop C ounty ’ s only Independent Weekly neWspaper Published by Clatsop County Media Services LLC Send news or address changes to: 5 N Highway 101 #500, Warrenton OR 97146 Cindy Yingst, Publisher/Editor (news@thecolumbiapress.com) 503-861-3331 Peggy Yingst, Advertising Director (ads@thecolumbiapress.com) 503-861-3331 D.B. Lewis, Circulation Director (circulation@thecolumbiapress.com) 503-861-3331 Postage paid at the Warrenton Post Office All content copyrighted by Clatsop County Media Services LLC The Columbia Press Oregon is facing unprece- dented unemployment and hundreds of thousands of Oregon families have sought unemployment benefits to pay for their basic needs. But the agency acknowl- edges it has an unacceptable backlog and has begun a pro- gram to combat it. “While the Oregon Employ- ment Department has paid a record number ... within two to three weeks, for too many Oregonians, their claims are in a backlog,” the agency wrote. “We know how frus- trating it has been for those who are trying to reach us about the status of their claims and have been unable to get through.” The goal of Project Focus 100 is to process 100 percent of the 38,000 backlogged claims by hiring more staff, putting the most experienced agents on the oldest and most complex claims and tempo- rarily reassigning job center employees to answer calls. “It’s way overdue at this point. They failed miserably,” Warrenton City Commission- er Mark Baldwin said. Baldwin brought up the state agency’s shortcomings during a recent meeting af- ter employees on temporary layoff from his construction company could get no relief. Mayor Henry Balensifer fol- lowed up by writing a letter to the agency expressing the city’s dismay. “I’ve not heard one person saying they’ve heard from the Employment Department,” he said. “They should priori- tize communicating to those who’ve waited the longest and work their way to the recent.” This week, House Speaker Tina Kotek suggested moving employees from some state agencies to Employment as a way to speed up the process. Balensifer likes that idea. “Communication sucks. It really does,” he said. The agency has said it’s in- stigating new ways of contact- ing Oregonians to let them know where their claims are in the system.
