The Columbia Press
February 11, 2022
3
Three arrested in series of store thefts
Three people from Wash-
ington state were arrested
Feb. 4 after shoplifting items
from several Warrenton
stores.
Big 5 Sporting Goods re-
ported the theft of $623 in
clothes by a couple who fled
in a 1994 black Honda Ac-
cord about 7:45 p.m. Feb. 4.
Half an hour later, Tractor
Supply reported the theft
of $525 in items by a cou-
ple who also left in a black
Honda.
Twenty minutes after that,
at 8:40 p.m., Walmart re-
ported they had three people
in custody regarding thefts
that occurred there.
Raven Brianne Groat, 25,
of Kelso was arrested on sus-
picion of two counts of sec-
ond-degree theft. She also
had a warrant for her arrest.
Levi Carter Holland, 28, of
Kelso was arrested on suspi-
cion of one count of first-de-
gree theft and two counts of
second-degree theft. He also
had a warrant for his arrest.
Austin Lee McClure, 25, of
Longview was arrested on
suspicion of providing false
information to a police offi-
cer.
After all three were released
from custody locally, Holland
was arrested again on Tues-
day, Feb. 8, and booked at
Clatsop County Jail on suspi-
cion of attempted robbery.
Seaside man arrested on child sex-abuse charges
Peggy Yingst/The Columbia Press
A timber company representative leads a tour through a
worksite in the Clatsop National Forest in 2019.
Timber brought county $22.9 million
Clatsop County and other
local government agencies re-
ceived $22.9 million in reve-
nue from the state forest trust,
according to the Oregon De-
partment of Forestry.
The money is collected from
timber sales on state-owned
forests and distributed based
on the sales within a particu-
lar jurisdiction. More than $71
million was distributed state-
wide.
Counties and local service
providers receive approxi-
mately 64 percent of net rev-
enue and the rest goes to the
state for forest management,
including recreation, environ-
mental enhancement projects,
replanting after timber har-
vest, and forest road mainte-
nance.
Revenue and other activities
were reported in Oregon De-
partment of Forestry annual
report to state forest trust land
counties. It details economic,
environmental and social ac-
complishments for 2021.
Other highlights included the
replanting of more than 3 mil-
lion trees, hosting more than
11,000 campers at ODF camp-
grounds, and the maintenance
of 320 miles of trails.
The Clatsop State Forest con-
sists of about 147,000 acres
in Clatsop County, with small
portions in Tillamook and Co-
lumbia counties. In addition to
the county, other agencies re-
ceiving revenue include Clat-
sop Community College, the
Port of Astoria, Clatsop Care
Health District, Jewell School
District, and other providers of
fire protection, public transit
and other services.
“State forests provide im-
mense social, environmental
and economic benefits, not
just for communities around
state-managed
forestlands,
but for all Oregonians,” State
Forester Cal Mukumoto said.
“As working lands, state for-
ests generate essential revenue
for rural communities, while
also providing clean water for
Oregonians, habitat for threat-
ened and endangered species,
and a place for people to recon-
nect with nature,” he added.
As part of ODF’s commit-
ment to conservation, about
30 percent of the Clatsop State
Forest is managed toward an
older forest condition, mean-
ing it supports vulnerable spe-
cies that flourish in old-forest
habitats.
ODF protects 373 miles of
fish-bearing streams and 959
miles of streams without fish.
About 4,700 acres are protect-
ed as habitat for marbled mur-
relets and Northern spotted
owls.
ODF manages forests in 15
counties, with Clatsop and Til-
lamook being the largest
A Seaside man was arrested
last week on multiple counts
of contributing to child sexu-
al abuse.
Gabriel Burton Walker, 34,
was booked at Clatsop Coun-
ty Jail on Feb. 2 on four fel-
ony counts, two for encour-
aging child sexual abuse and
two for online sexual corrup-
tion of a child.
An investigation began af-
ter Walker began commu-
nicating with an undercover
child abuse task force mem-
ber over the internet, accord-
College news
Four students from Clat-
sop County have been named
to the fall term dean’s list at
Eastern Oregon Universi-
ty in La Grande. Qualifying
students must achieve and
maintain a grade-point aver-
age of 3.5 or higher.
The students are Michelle
Gomes of Astoria, Kyle Har-
rington of Gearhart, Hillary
Dochow of Seaside, and Vic-
toria Dochow of Seaside.
Six Clatsop County res-
idents were named to the
dean’s list at George Fox Uni-
versity in Newberg.
They are Matthew Burgher
and Marin Donohue, both of
Warrenton; Niquilla Blodgett
of Seaside; and Jeff Lafferty,
Sarah Lertora and Henry
Samuelson, all of Astoria.
ing to Seaside Police.
vidson at djdavid-
Through their com-
son@cityofseaside.
munications, Walker
us or 971-326-0333.
distributed child por-
Seaside was assist-
nography videos and
ed in the investiga-
attempted to solicit a
tion by an Internet
child under 10 years
Crimes Against Chil-
old for the purpose
dren task force, com-
of sexual conduct,
prised of detectives
Walker
according to a police
from the Hillsboro
report.
Police Department,
He remained at Clatsop special agents from the Fed-
County Jail on Wednesday. eral Bureau of Investigations
Anyone with information and the National Center for
about the case is urged to Exploited and Missing Chil-
contact Detective David Da- dren.