The Columbia Press
Clatsop County’s Independent Weekly
www.thecolumbiapress.com
County now
considered low
risk for virus
February 26, 2021
Life expectancy
Life expectancy in the United States
dropped an entire year during the
first half of 2020 as the coronavirus
pandemic caused its first wave of
deaths, health officials report.
Minorities suffered the biggest im-
pact, with black Americans losing
nearly three years and Latinos nearly
two years, according to preliminary
estimates released late last week by
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
See ‘Virus’ on Page 4
50 ¢
Vol. 5, Issue 9
Warrenton fishing boat capsizes, killing two
The Columbia Press
A Warrenton-based com-
mercial crab boat capsized
Saturday in rough waters on
the Tillamook Bay bar, killing
two of the four crew members,
according to the U.S. Coast
Guard.
All four members of fish-
ing vessel Coastal Reign were
pulled from the bay after the
capsizing. The Coast Guard
had been watching the area
because there were small craft
restrictions due to bad weath-
er and choppy seas. A rescue
crew was sent immediately
The Columbia Press
Clatsop County moves from “ex-
treme risk” today, Feb. 26, to
the least-restrictive category for
COVID-19.
The change eases restrictions on
bars, restaurants, theaters, bowling
alleys and other indoor recreation
and entertainment establishments.
The move to “low risk” is the result
of a drop in the county’s new case
rate. During the two weeks between
Feb. 7 and 20, there were just 12
new cases, which is less than 50 per
100,000 population according to the
state’s risk-level metric imposed in
November.
As a “low risk” county, local restau-
rants, gyms and other establishments
can operate at 50-percent capacity.
Churches can be at 75 percent capac-
ity.
As of Wednesday, Feb. 24, the coun-
ty has recorded 780 positive cases
since the beginning of the pandemic
a year ago. Eighteen people have re-
quired hospitalization and six people
have died.
During the past seven days, which
ended Wednesday, there have been
12 new cases.
1
from nearby Garibaldi and a
helicopter from Astoria when
the vessel’s crew issued a dis-
tress call.
As the 38-foot Coastal Reign
crossed the bar, it turned side-
ways in the surf and capsized
at 4:40 p.m.
Todd Chase, 51, of Warren-
ton, who left a wife and four
children, died shortly after be-
ing pulled unresponsive from
the water. The family of Zach
Zappone, 41, of Warrenton
said he died en route to a Port-
land hospital.
See ‘Deaths’ on Page 6
Above: F/V Coastal
Reign.
Left: Todd Chase
with wife, Angie. The
couple would have
celebrated their 30th
anniversary this
year.
Right: Zach Zap-
pone.
Photos from GoFundMe
pages and Facebook
Port disputes what it views as exhorbitant DEQ charges
The Columbia Press
The Port of Astoria has begun ques-
tioning some of the charges it’s being
forced to pay by the state Department
of Environmental Quality.
The port is one of eight parties
deemed responsible for a series of
soil and groundwater contamination
events decades ago in and around the
West Mooring Basin and Astoria Riv-
erwalk Inn.
“There are specific items that have
just raised some eyebrows,” Will Isom,
the port’s executive director, told com-
missioners earlier this month.
For instance, during a
With the port and others ex-
40-minute DEQ presentation
pected to pay cleanup costs
in Astoria two years ago, the
over the next three decades,
agency and other responsible
“We need to know what we’re
parties were ordered to pay
going to get charged, what’s
$15,000 for the state agency’s
considered a reasonable cost.”
preparation and debriefing
Between 1993 and 2001, liq-
time. The amount charged was
uid petroleum hydrocarbons,
six to seven times the state em-
gasoline, diesel, oil or benzene
Isom
ployees’ hourly salaries.
were found in the soil and
The following month, the parties
groundwater in five general
were charged by the DEQ for the time areas on and around port property.
it took their staff to read newspaper There were several culprits, includ-
articles about the presentation.
ing a failing pipe that ran from McCall
“It seems unreasonable,” Isom said.
See ‘Port’ on Page 4