Thank you for your interest in reading The Astorian. Here are a few stories that you might have missed this week:

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Staffing challenges persist at the Astoria 911 dispatch center.

Recent departures have left the city with five certified dispatchers, which includes the emergency communications manager and the supervisor. The dispatch center has capacity for 11 staffers.

“It was a gut punch,” Police Chief Stacy Kelly said.

Stress and pay are factors in the turnover.

Read the story by Nicole Bales by clicking here.

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A new wastewater rate structure is coming into view in Astoria.

The changes are driven by the growth of breweries.

Since high concentration waste is expensive to treat and taxes the city’s wastewater treatment system, the new structure would classify users based on concentration.

The shift is part of an industrial pretreatment program the City Council adopted this summer to manage waste from breweries, which produce the highest concentration of waste because of the suspended solids from hops, barley and yeast used in the brewing process.

“The mission was to come up with a rational, defensible rate structure that conforms with industry practice,” Cindy Moore, the assistant city engineer, told the City Council during a work session.

Take a look at Nicole Bales’ report by clicking here.

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Fort George Brewery will receive a $144,460 federal rural development grant to install a large, roof-mounted solar panel at its plant in Uniontown.

The grant is part of a $2 million project to reduce the brewery’s energy costs.

“I think that it’s really important to be sustainable and be stewards in our community,” said Chris Nemlowill, Fort George’s owner, adding that he wants the brewery to set a good example. “I think it will also be very inspiring for our community.”

See the story by Nicole Bales by clicking here.

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