Arrest Follows Gas Line Break JEREMY C
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Murder case in Take a hike court Page A10 Page A8 Wednesday, .50 February 10, 2021 $1 thechronicleonline.com Serving Columbia County since 1881 Arrest follows gas line break JEREMY C. RUARK [email protected] A St. Helens man was arrested after allegedly hitting a large natu- ral gas pipe off Highway 30 near Deer Island Thursday night, Feb. 5. St. Helens Police responded to a report of a hit and run driver in the area at approximately 5:39 p.m. and discovered the damaged natural gas pipe at that time. The pipe was spraying natural gas into the air, causing police to immediately close the roads in the area and setting up a safety perim- eter, according to a release from the St. Helens Police Department. Columbia River Fire & Rescue and NW Natural assisted with Metro Creative Connection securing the natural gas line, and / The Chronicle residents in approximately 100 St. Helens approved the preparation of homes were alerted to shelter in a roughly 100-acres timber sale in the place. “Due to the nature of the Milton Creek Watershed. incident, to protect life safety, we asked that folks stay inside and Courtesy of David McFarland avoid the area,” CRFR spokesper- This is the site of the gas leak as seen from reader David McFarland. City to prepare son Jennifer Motherly said. “CRFR staff knocked on the doors of some last seen driving toward Crestwood driver. email,” Motherway said. timber sale of the homes near the area on Deer Village. He was booked and released at The notification system was ini- Island Road. The homes located Police learned of a resident with the Columbia County Jail. Er- tiated by the Columbia Emergency STAFF REPORT down below the Columbia Humane a black Chevrolet Camaro match- hardt’s court date is pending. Planning Association (CEPA) in [email protected] Society were notified via reverse ing the description of the hit and Motherway said the incident is 2000. CEPA is a partnership orga- 911 by Columbia 911.” run vehicle while checking the a good example for local residents nization of industry, public safety Following a profitable Douglas By 7:30 p.m. NW Natural crews area. The owner of the Camaro, to be signed up with the county’s and local governments in Columbia fir timber sale in 2020, St. Helens were able to turn off the gas line Mark Alan Erhardt, 53, was seen ‘CAN’ notification system. County for the purpose of emer- leaving the neighborhood in a According to Columbia 911’s is preparing to sell more timber this and make repairs, allowing the gency preparedness and planning. year. brown Jeep moments prior, police website/CAN link, dispatchers can “Registration is necessary to closed roads to reopen shortly after said. activate a high speed telephone The St. Helens City Council and the shelter in place order to be participate in the CAN notification approved preparing a timber sale of A nearby police officer who dialing service to notify citizens system, otherwise the members lifted. spotted the described Jeep as it and businesses of important infor- around 100 acres in the Milton Creek The original hit and run report of the community risk not getting Watershed. The city will get bids passed the police cruiser conducted mation. identified a dark colored vehicle a traffic stop and took Erhardt into “The dialing service is called notified of emergencies,” Mother- on the timber price and approve or hitting an unidentified object, way said. decline the sale at that time. custody. Erhardt was charged with “CAN” which stands for Columbia discovered to be the gas pipe, on two counts of driving under the Alert Network. Notifications are Brent Keller, associate at the the side of the road before driving city-contracted forest management influence of intoxicants, reckless delivered to targeted geographic ar- Find out more at Columbia firm Mason, Bruce & Girard, told off. Officers checked the area for driving, reckless endangering and eas by a telephone call or electron- County’s website, columbiacoun- city councilors the price for timber the suspected vehicle, which was failure to perform the duties of a ic messages like text messaging or tyor.gov is higher now than it has been in the past. “Prices right now are well above the five-year average,” he said, and that prices were at an all time high County expects change to “high risk” last summer. If the city chooses to sell 50 acres of timber, he expects Declining COVID-19 case rates The state’s risk level framework Based on the data from the most there could be $625,000 in income, MONIQUE MERRILL in Columbia County may allow the framework tracks each county’s recent two-week period (Jan. 24-Feb. and he recommended two cuts equal- [email protected] county to move down to the ‘high COVID-19 case rate and test positiv- 6), Columbia County is eligible to ing around 100 acres and increasing risk’ category and bring back limited ity rate over a two-week period to move down to high risk. From Jan. the profit. in-person dining, along with other determine what set of restrictions 124-Feb. 6 there were 69 new cases The 2020 timber sale, which Switching from “extreme indoor activities, as soon as Friday, that county will follow to reduce reported, which equals a case rate of spanned 66 acres, netted just under risk” to “high risk” means: Feb. 12. the spread of COVID-19. There are 130.8 cases per 100,000 people and $1.4 million. Mills in the small The official announcement was four levels: extreme risk, high risk, a test positivity rate of 4.2%. log market are paying competitive • Indoor dining is allowed at made on Tuesday, Feb. 9, after the moderate risk and lower risk. The metrics follow a downward timber prices, Keller said, largely 25% capacity press deadline of The Chronicle, Counties with over 200 new case trend in the county. In the previ- due to the strong housing market. • Indoor entertainment and but the metrics used by the state cases per 100,000 people reported ous two-week period, (Jan. 17-30) Small logs are typically produced to assess each county’s risk placed over a two-week period and a test there were 74 new cases reported, into dimension lumber that is used in recreation is allowed at Columbia in the “high risk” category positivity rate of over 10% are which puts the county case rate at the construction industry. Most of St. 35% capacity down from “extreme risk.” Visit the- considered at an extreme risk. To 140.3 per 100,000 people, and the Helens timber is small Douglas fir • Certain outdoor recreation chronicleonline.com for up to date move to high risk, a county must test positivity rate was 4.7%. saw logs. information. report between 100 to 200 new cases For reference, the statewide case Those logs range from $700- and entertainment are al- per 100,000 people over a two-week $800 per million board foot (MBF), lowed 75 people maximum The metrics period and a test positivity rate of which is higher than it was at this between 8-10%. time last year. Stumpage prices for See PANDEMIC Page A10 the city’s timber would range from $450-$550 per MBF, Keller said. The city councilors and Mayor Rick Scholl agreed that it would be good for the city to take advantage of Sweet Pea’s favorite sky high perch the competitive market. “We have so many big projects Morse code asking if the cat that library staff reports that Sweet Pea going on, and the market seems JEREMY C. RUARK has recently taken up residence on also likes to pounce on insects in right,” Scholl said. “I’m not say- [email protected] the library’s roof is stuck. the lawn and warm herself on the ing cut all the timber and not all the watershed, we’re talking a small You might spot Sweet Pea “We would like to reassure hoods of staff cars. fraction of the watershed. He recom- crouching proud and true, high a everyone that she is not,” accord- Next time you drive by the St. mended two cuts of about 100 acres, top the St. Helens Library. ing to the library’s post in the City Helens Public Library, see if you and I would like to go with what The cat has gained a lot of at- of St. Helens latest newsletter. can spot Sweet Pea and tell her he recommended knowing we have tention while sitting peacefully on “Sweet Pea lives in the neighbor- hello. projects in mind.” the roof of the building. hood and recently discovered that “But please don’t fret (or call The Milton Creek Watershed has The neighborhood St. Helens she can get on the library roof and the fire or police departments) - Public Library has received phone now she spends her days survey- we promise she can get off the calls, emails, messages on social ing her kingdom.” roof on her own,” the library’s Courtesy photo See TIMBER Page A9 media, in-person queries, and When not on the roof, the newsletter post reads. 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