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By Kayla Camenzind

SOUTH BEND - Pacific County Commissioners have finished a draft of an ordinance allowing wheeled all-terrain vehicles and off-road vehicles on certain county roads with speed limits under 35 mph. According to the draft, the ordinance will come into effect August 13.

By Kayla Camenzind

Tragedy has struck in Eastern Washington where the Carlton Complex fire, the largest wildfire in Washington State history, has destroyed around 300 homes and left hundreds with nothing. Pacific County locals are working together to help those who lost everything in Pateros and Brewster.

By Kayla Camenzind

Last week the Northwest Carriage Museum in Raymond received a new addition - a 1900s hearse from Vienna, Austria.

By Patrick Myers

Monday night the Raymond City Council met to discuss the Shoreline Conditional Use Permit, which involves a project with an estimated cost of $120,000,000.

The 30th annual Mt. St. Helens Bluegrass Festival will be taking place this weekend at Toledo High School, featuring several bands as well as an open mic session and a free gospel concert on Sunday. Below is a schedule of events and ticket prices, while more information can be found at www.washingtonbluegrassassociation.org/2014fest/

Castle Rock Baptist Church has begun hosting Cowboy Church the last Saturday of every month.

Scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m., this event is free to all those who wish to experience country, bluegrass, traditional and contemporary music, as well as fellowship. Singers are also needed for those who wish to perform.

The Morgan Arts Centre was bursting with kids this last week for their 14th annual Children's Theater Workshop, taking several days to teach youngsters from across the region the finer points of acting and stagecraft.

Open to students 8 to 18 years of age, organizer Di Morgan said the program was filled past capacity with registrations by July 1, and says the popularity of the camp comes from the fact that all kids participating (35 this year) will get a chance to fill at least one starring role.

Muggles and magic abounded last week at the Winlock Timberland Library as guests celebrated the birthday of Harry Potter on July 29.

Turning 34 years old this year, Harry's exploits at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, featured in the seven-book series bearing his name, were turned into crafts, snacks and games for kids and their families, several of whom came in costume.

Guests at the Winlock Timberland Library got to experiment with engineering projects last Wednesday, including a lattice of tightly-woven popsicle sticks (pictured) waiting for the right time to release their potential kinetic energy and burst apart. Part of the library's Fizz, Boom, Read summer reading program, these displays of science and wonder are going on for just one more week, including events this Wednesday, so don't miss out.

Welcome Ryderwood Newcomers, and there are quite a few of you! Your town is a very special place and we hope it will serve you well. In 10 years, I haven't seen this much interest in Ryderwood real estate since the year AARP mentioned Ryderwood in their magazine.

My personal take on Ryderwood is: "Bill Gates and Warren Buffett don't have enough money to buy what we get for $35 a month!" So what does that $35 really pay for? No matter what, the Association (RISA) pays Cowlitz PUD for streetlights and Community Waste & Recycling for trash collection (*It's really dark out here when the power goes out and no one wants to live near uncollected trash...)

Friday Gallery 505 Opening Night 5 - 9 p.m. August Theme, Music and Machines, celebrates August's Bluegrass Festival and Threshing Bee. Regular hours 2 - 6 p.m. Thursdays - Sundays. Visit www.artgallery505.com or call (360) 864-2789.

Friday - Sunday Annual Bluegrass Festival celebrates 30 years. Sunday free gospel session. Details at www.washingtonbluegrassassociation.org

The end of this month will feature a public hearing regarding the City Council's current ban against medical and recreational marijuana facilities. Scheduled for the council's Aug. 28 meeting, residents are encouraged to offer verbal input, or written testimony, and those needing more information or accommodations may call (360) 925-3222.

The Vader Lions Club will soon be on the lookout for new members to help bolster their community outreach efforts. Currently inactive, due to the summer months, local Lions plan to start meeting again regularly in September, and those interested in joining may call Lois Wilson at (360) 295-3002.

The Winlock School District is nearing the end of their free summer meal program. Between now and Thursday, Aug. 14, free breakfast and lunch are available to children 18 years of age and younger at the Winlock Miller Elementary School cafeteria between 8 and 8:30 a.m., and 12 and 12:30 p.m., respectively.

The district is also accepting donations of school supplies for their Stuff the Bus program, which will run officially Aug. 25 through 29, but donations are being accepted at the district office right now. For more info on this unique and beneficial fundraiser, call the district at (360) 785-3582.

As a Democrat, union member, and woman, I am simply offended with David Gauger, who is Lisa Ayers campaign manager, and his letter to the editor which follows the smear tactics recently employed by the Democratic Party in this race.

Mr. Floyd, Thank you for taking my call and being willing to consider what I have to say regarding the character, character assassination via "trial" by a variety of newspaper articles of Pacific County police Officer Vance Johnson. I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to your readers. I am responding to an impending gross miscarriage of justice, that as an American Citizen, raised in the same culture as your readers, I must speak out against.

Candidates for open positions within Lewis County (pictured) offer last-minute stump speeches at the Toledo Senior Center on July 30. Candidate pools for Lewis County Commissioner, Lewis County Auditor, Cowlitz County Commissioner, State Representative and Federal Representative will all be narrowed down to two during the Primary Election on Aug. 5, and the results of local voters will be available on www.hometowndebate.com that evening, with updates posted as additional ballots are counted.

The City of Winlock is seeking local residents able to serve on the Winlock Park Board to help manage park resources and spend time maintaining park facilities.

Three positions within the city limits and one position within the Winlock School District are available, and members will set a regular time to meet and conduct business, as well as appoint a chairperson to lead the board.

A Longview man has been cited after rolling his vehicle near Toledo Saturday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The 23-year-old male driver of a 1999 Ford Mustang had been traveling north on the 500 block of Jackson Hwy., south of Toledo, when he failed to negotiate a curve and struck the ditch, causing his car to roll over several times and land on its wheels.

Authorities need assistance in solving a burglary taking place last month near Centralia.

On July 23, sometime between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., an unknown sumber of suspects broke into a residence on the 100 block of Blanchard Rd., west of Centralia, and stole a Colt Python revolver, an Apple I-Pad with white cover, autographed baseballs, a blue CD player and miscellaneous jewelry. The estimated loss is $ 3,980.

Local Fire and EMS responses between July 28 and Aug. 3.