A2 • Friday, August 5, 2022 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
County voters to decide on
temporary psilocybin ban
The Astorian
R.J. Marx
The Clatsop County
Board of Commissioners
on July 27 advanced an
ordinance that would put a
proposed two-year ban on
psilocybin businesses on
the November ballot.
Oregon voters approved
Measure 109 in November
2020. The measure — the
fi rst of its kind in the coun-
try — allows psilocybin to
be manufactured and deliv-
ered to a state-licensed ser-
vice center, where the drug
can be dispensed to people
21 and older. The measure
passed in Clatsop County
55% to 45%.
Studies indicate that
psilocybin, a psychedelic
found in so-called “magic
mushrooms,” can help
treat depression, anxiety,
trauma and other condi-
tions. The drug remains a
Schedule 1 controlled sub-
stance under federal law.
Oregon Health Author-
ity regulations on how the
drug can be manufactured,
transported and adminis-
tered are due to arrive in
late December. The health
authority will start accept-
ing licensing applications
in early January.
The moratorium, which
applies to the county’s unin-
corporated areas, is intended
to give county staff time to
craft their own restrictions
about the time, place and
manner that go further than
state regulations.
Aftermath of a fi re at G Street and U.S. Highway 101 early Sunday morning.
G Street fi re damages shop, storefront
Seaside Signal
A shop and storefront
along U.S. Highway 101 and
G Street in Gearhart caught
fi re early Sunday morning.
Gearhart Fire responded
to a report of a brush fi re
close to two buildings before
4:30 a.m. No one was hurt
and the building was unoc-
cupied, Chief Josh Como
said.
The new owners of the
property at 2970 U.S. High-
way 101 had been cleaning
out the lower shop piling and
sorting items, Como said.
During the night, the pile
caught fi re.
Because of the close prox-
imity of the structures and the
pile that caught fi re, it set the
lower shop on fi re as well as
the storefront alongside the
highway. Firefi ghters were
able to stop the fi re in the
storefront structure and save
90% of that structure and its
contents, Como said.
The cause is undetermined.
Gearhart, Seaside, War-
renton and Lewis and Clark
fi re departments, as well as
the county fi re chief were
represented on scene. Can-
non Beach, Hamlet and
Nehalem Bay provided addi-
tional coverage.
MEMORIAL
Michael Dennis
Packer
Saturday, Aug. 6
PACKER, Michael Den-
nis — Celebration of life
from 1 to 4 p.m., Columbia
Portage Grill, Shilo Inns The
Dalles, 3223 Bret Clodfelter
Way in The Dalles.
DEATH NOTICE
Ruth Marie Koch
July 23, 2022
KOCH, Ruth Marie, 94, of
Seaside, died in Warrenton.
Hughes-Ransom Mortuary is
in charge of the arrangements.
Former real estate association
offi cer indicted on theft charges
Morrow served as
executive offi cer
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
A former executive offi -
cer of the Clatsop Associ-
ation of Realtors has been
indicted for identity theft,
forgery and aggravated
theft.
Deborah Lee Mor-
row, 61, allegedly used the
identifi cation of the realty
association and one of its
leaders more than a dozen
times, according to the
grand jury indictment.
She also allegedly
forged checks more than a
dozen times.
In
addition,
she
allegedly stole money
and other unauthorized
expenses that belonged to
the realty association, the
indictment said.
The crimes are alleged
to have occurred between
August 2019 and Decem-
ber 2020.
The indictment does not
specify the total amount of
money in question, but the
state alleges the loss was
more than $50,000.
Morrow could not
immediately be reached
for comment.
Morrow has served as
the board chairwoman of
the Warrenton-Hammond
School District and has
been involved in several
other boards on the North
Coast over the years.
“It sounds like (law
enforcement) did a good
job in digging into this,”
Lynn Brigham, the presi-
dent of the realty associ-
ation, said. “We support
them, and we’re going to
continue to do what we
can to support our mem-
bers and keep the integrity
and professionalism of the
group together.”
District
Attorney
Ron Brown declined to
comment.
Ed Owens
Students with Clatsop County Sheriff ’s Offi ce Sgt. Thomas Phillips and K-9 ‘Tux.’
Students graduate from law
enforcement career camp
Seaside Legion, Chief Ham participate in program
Seaside Signal
Students from around the
state came to Camp Rilea
for the Oregon American
Legion Law Enforcement
Career Camp on July 25 and
throughout the week. Stu-
dents from all across Oregon
participated as 11 students
graduated July 29, with key-
note speaker Seaside Police
Chief Dave Ham.
The class was the fi rst since
the pandemic and the fi rst
time it has been held at Camp
Rilea, Ed Owens, chairman
of the American Legion Law
Enforcement Career Camp,
said.
“We are very excited to
partner with Camp Rilea, the
Oregon State Police, the Clat-
sop County Sheriff ’s Offi ce,
the American Legion Post 99
out of Seaside and numerous
other agencies from across the
state of Oregon to make this
law enforcement youth career
camp happen,” Owens said.
Lt. Jason Lindland, of Ore-
gon State Police in Salem, was
the key to the camp being held
in this location, coordinating
with local and statewide agen-
cies to bring in instructors, set
up demonstrations and facili-
tate the LECC curriculum this
year, Owens said.
In his career with Ore-
gon State Police, Lindland
has worked closely with
local agencies in this area
on numerous cases, train-
ing and supporting local law
enforcement agencies in the
community.
OBITUARY
Ruth Koch
Seaside
Jan. 12, 1928 — July 23, 2022
Ruth passed away very
peacefully on July 23.
Ruth was born on Jan.
12, 1928, to Charles and
Isabelle (Johnson) Gaha-
gan in Grand Forks, North
Dakota. She was the young-
est of three; her sister, Mar-
garet (Marge), and brother,
Harold Gahagan, preceded
her in death.
She was a graduate of
Central High School in
Grand Forks.
She married Marcus L.
Woodworth and resided in
Renton, Washington, until
moving to Seaside in 1960.
She worked at the Holladay
Drug Store for 13 years.
In 1974, she married
Eugene C. Koch Jr., who
passed away in 2017. She
resided in her home for over
60 years.
Ruth was a beloved
member of our community,
as she was involved with
many organizations, includ-
Ruth Koch
ing Taking Off Pounds Sen-
sibly, Meals on Wheels,
Partners for Seniors, the
American Legion and Elks.
Also, during the 1970s,
she was a active part of the
Miss Oregon Pageant as a
hostess.
But she is best known
for her love of bowling, as
she bowled on three diff er-
ent leagues a week, plus
would travel across the state
and country participating in
tournaments. She is also
a lifetime member of Our
Saviour Lutheran Church.
Ruth is survived by
her three children, Char-
lotte (Dave) Link, of The
Dalles, Mark (Liz) Wood-
worth, of Golden, Colo-
rado, and Connie Clementz,
of Seaside; three grandchil-
dren, Nikole Davis, of Ore-
gon City, Elizabeth (Libby)
Jones (Nathan), of Little-
ton, Colorado, and Sean
Woodworth, of Westmin-
ster, Colorado; and three
great-grandsons,
Harri-
son, Silas and Oaks Jones
of Littleton, who called her
GGMA.
A memorial service will
be at a later date. Uff da!
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