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Listen for the Taheebo Tea Club Show Tuesday’s from 2p-3p on KOHI and follow this link: taheeboteaclub.com
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KOHI LOCAL NEWS Columbia County Magazine Coming Soon!!!
ST. HELENS, Ore. [March 04, 2026] — The Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District has submitted a ballot title for a proposed operations levy for an upcoming election. The levy would support the District’s emergency communications services, including 9-1-1 call-taking, dispatch operations, and the technology and infrastructure that support emergency response throughout Columbia County. “Emergency communications play a critical role in public safety across Columbia County,” said Jeff Flatt, President of the Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District Board of Directors. “Submitting the ballot title allows the community to review the proposal and better understand how the District supports law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical response.” The ballot title and summary were submitted to the Columbia County Elections Office in accordance with Oregon election law. Once certified, the ballot title will be published for public review and comment within the timelines established by the state’s election process. The proposed levy is intended to maintain current service levels and support operational needs, including staffing, technology systems, and equipment used to coordinate emergency response across the county. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Take the New Columbia County Community Survey Columbia County has a new FlashVote survey open about the County website and emergency communications. You can still sign up and take the survey before it closes. Surveys only take a few minutes. Sign up here: https://www.flashvote.com/users/sign_up Earlier this year, residents shared feedback about how they prefer to receive information from Columbia County. You can view the results from that survey here: https://www.flashvote.com/columbia-county-or/surveys/county-communications-01-26 Thank you to everyone who participates.
ColumbiaCountyOregon ---------------------------------------------------------------- Notice is hereby given that one or more of the County Commissioners, constituting a quorum, will attend a virtual joint meeting with CET on Friday, March 6, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the plan for transitioning Enterprise Zone management prior to our formal dissolution date of March 31st. The meeting agenda and virtual meeting information will be posted at www.columibiacountyor.gov Dated this 4th day of March 2026 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Attention: It's Spring Market & Ladies Night at the Columbia County Fairgrounds on March 21st from 10 AM–8 PM (Ladies Night is 21+ from 6–8 PM). This community event will feature 60+ vendors, including delicious food from Wrap Around Town, Taqueria El Rosario and DM Eats & Sweets. Children’s clothing, jewelry, home décor, arts, beauty, self-care, cleaning products, and MORE. The Watering Hole will be serving dirty sodas and iced coffee during the day, with alcoholic beverages available during Ladies Night. We’re also hosting a raffle benefiting the Columbia Pacific Food Bank — attendees who bring a canned food donation will receive raffle tickets for prizes donated by local businesses. There will be plenty of interactive fun throughout the day, including: • Watercolor Art with Art by Cheryl • Floral Bouquet Making with Clatskanie Floral • Cookie Decorating with Cryptid Cookies • Permanent Jewelry • Hair Tinsel • Line Dancing & Bingo Workshop tickets can be purchased through our Facebook event page, and admission to attend the event is completely free. ------------------------------------------------------------------ St. Helens, Ore. – Each year, the City of St. Helens names an employee of the year who consistently goes above and beyond for the public and fellow co-workers. Nominations are submitted by City employees and then reviewed by a panel of community members to make a final selection.
For the 2025 Employee of the Year selection process, the City assembled a panel of seven community members to judge nominations. The panel was asked to set aside all bias and judge the nominees solely based on the nominations received, emphasizing the quality of the nomination and employee rather than the quantity of nominations. Six nominations were submitted for five employees.
On February 20, 2026, the City of St. Helens announced that the 2025 City of St. Helens employee of the year is Human Resources Coordinator and City Recorder Kathy Payne. Payne is a 24-year employee of the City of St. Helens. She was hired in April 2001 as a planning secretary and was quickly promoted to an executive secretary position in 2002. In 2008, Payne became City Recorder. Her job was updated in 2021 to include the additional duties of human resources coordinator, and she continues in that position today.
Payne’s nomination noted that “in public service, we often celebrate the visible accomplishments – the projects completed, the emergencies handled, the milestones achieved. But behind every one of those successes is someone ensuring that the foundation is strong. Someone making sure we hire the right people, follow the right processes, treat people fairly, and move forward with professionalism and integrity. For us, that person is Kathy.”
Payne was also recognized for her calm, solutions-oriented mindset in high-pressure situations, her leadership, initiative, and her help in strengthening the City’s work culture through organizing employee gatherings. She was described by coworkers as “supremely organized” and recognized for covering for staff in other departments when needed.
The St. Helens Employee of the Year program was implemented in 2013. An employee of the year is someone who consistently exemplifies behaviors that reflect favorably on the City. They are an employee that goes above and beyond on a regular basis; someone who goes the extra mile to help customers, both internally and externally; responds to inquiries in an efficient and timely manner; regularly participates in employee-related events; puts the City’s interests and the interests of their co-workers above their own; has an exemplary attendance record; behaves off duty in a manner that reflects positively on the City since City employees are public officials even outside work; has a positive attitude no matter the circumstances; and is noticed by people in and out of the organization. |