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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A regional fund will seek to reduce childhood trauma.

The Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization will make a $400,000 investment over two years in Clatsop and Columbia counties.

The organization oversees Medicaid in Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties through the Oregon Health Plan.

Oregon has higher rates of abuse and neglect than the national average. Rates of child abuse and neglect in Columbia County are significantly higher than state figures. While rates in Clatsop County are slightly lower than the state average, the county ranks higher in other areas that cause trauma for children, including going through the foster care system.

Read the story by Nicole Bales by clicking here.

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Clatsop County has been added to Gov. Tina Kotek’s emergency declaration on homelessness.

Kotek in January said her initial order was based on the best information at the time. The governor assured leaders that rural counties would have a pathway to formally request the emergency declaration be extended to their jurisdictions.

“Clatsop County has the highest share of homelessness among their general population when compared to other Oregon counties and we are very pleased that the governor recognizes the great need we have to address this critical problem,” Mark Kujala, the chairman of the county Board of Commissioners, said in a statement.

“We look forward to working with Oregon Housing and Community Services and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management to address this basic human need for shelter.”

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

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Rural school districts on North Coast are concerned about the draft of a habitat conservation plan.

Jewell and Knappa school boards have joined the chorus of criticism of the plan by Clatsop County leaders and the timber industry.

The 70-year plan, prepared by the Oregon Department of Forestry, would designate protected habitat areas across nearly 640,000 acres of state forests, mostly in Clatsop and Tillamook counties.

The plan would outline no-logging areas to protect species and keep the state in compliance with the federal Endangered Species Act.

County leaders and others fear the plan will lead to a significant loss of revenue from timber harvests in state forests.

“Will the education look different? I’d like to be very proactive and say ‘no,’” Jewell Superintendent Cory Pederson told The Astorian. “We’re going to provide the best darn education for our kids out here, no matter any circumstance. If you’re giving us $2 million, we’re going to give them the best education they can get. No matter what the funds are, we’ll figure out a way.”

See the story by Nicole Bales and Ethan Myers by clicking here.

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— Derrick DePledge