The Lewis County Economic Alliance has been under fire by PUD Commissioner Mike Hadaller for pursuing hydrogen power at the soon-to-be former site of the TransAlta steam plant. The questions Commissioner Hadaller posed have brought up even more questions. The most important being: Why are two of the three Lewis County Commissioners signing Non-Disclosure Agreements and why can't the public receive a copy of those Agreements? The Lewis County News requested the NDAs through the public records portal and the records came back that they could not be located.

Meyers Meadows is a new development in Winlock that has been marked by several issues. Now that the property is almost fully developed, new issues are arising for those who live in homes near the apartments and townhouses.

The Winlock School District has a new Resource Officer and he is known to most of us. Randy Pennington who retired from the Toledo Police Department answered the call of duty and this time, it's for our kids. Randy has always been an asset in the community, working as a fire commissioner and also as a member of the paramedic team in Winlock for many years. He's a stand up guy that all of us respect!

During Egg Days, a longtime Winlock resident, Freda Steveson, who is 89 years old, tripped on the sidewalk in front of the former Nichols Wilson building, now owned by Mayor Brandon Svenson. Freda has contacted the City of Winlock and the insurance company, who hung up on her.

Does our Lewis County 911 center have an emergency? I believe they do, it is called funding. Currently funding for the center is achieved mainly through fees paid by the various agencies that are dispatched by the center, our fire depts, local police, LSCO etc. Currently our center basically has the same radio capabilities, regarding radio transmission sites it had during the 80s when I was employed there. To say the 911 infrastructure is outdated is a huge understatement. This is mainly due to lack of funding.

Winlock's annexation plan will be open to public discussion at 6:00 p.m. on Friday September 8. All those interested in the annexation are encouraged to attend to hear and comment on the code changes, tax assessment, law enforcement, fire protection, and infrastructure costs associated with the annexation. This may be the last opportunity for residents in the area taken by the annexation to make a record of their concerns.

The Lewis County News, owned by Pat Myers, has been binding their editions ever since he purchased the paper. Pat had mentioned to me, the editor, that he was thinking about finding a forever home for the books he had for the Willapa Harbor Herald newspaper. That gave me the idea that the Winlock Historical Museum would be the perfect place for the Lewis County News/Town Crier books. The museum is here for our history and these books provide years of history that will serve the community for years to come.

The time is here for the Toledo Community Foundations Annual Shindig, which is taking place on September 9 at 4:00 p.m. at Country N Lace in Toledo. This is such a worthwhile event to attend, they help all their students in need in their school district. It is quite amazing to see what they have accomplished, from giving sports fees to buying equipment and many other much needed items.

We have seen many of our older families around our area pass away and then the remaining family members don't know what to do with their belongings. Many times family members take what they consider junk to the dump, but did you know you can actually sell those items. Robin Gonia and her husband Travis with RT Estate can help you turn that junk into a few bucks. Robin will come into the home and assess what you have instead of hauling it away.

A long established summer favorite, the Toledo Threshing Bee, is finally making a comeback. Another event that fell victim to the COVID outbreak, this annual event has been missing since 2020. Well it's coming back this weekend, thanks to the combined efforts of some of the old guard and some new blood who all share a love for old machinery and rusty iron. Along with new members it's also at a new location. The new spot is at the metropolis of Ethel on Hwy 12 at the intersection of Tucker Rd.