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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The state social services office in Astoria has a history of environmental problems.

The office building on Marine Drive, which closed indefinitely in late March, sits above petroleum contamination that has been the subject of testing and investigation for more than two decades.

Public documents, including a fact sheet by the state Department of Environmental Quality from 2021, show that petroleum in the soil produces vapors that can affect air inside the office building.

When the office closed, state officials cited a building safety concern, but declined to disclose any other details.

The Department of Human Services would not say whether petroleum contamination or vapors inside the building were connected to the state’s decision to remove workers in March.

“The Oregon Department of Human Services takes the health and safety of our clients and staff seriously,” Jake Sunderland, a spokesman for the department, said in a statement. “Our office in Astoria closed in March 2023 due to a building safety concern.”

He said air quality testing at the office building continues. Portable trailers were installed in the parking lot so people could receive social services through in-person visits. Vocational rehabilitation staff have been relocated to Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare in Warrenton.

“We will not return to this location until we are able to be sure that the location is safe for our workers and clients,” Sunderland said.

See the story by Nicole Bales by clicking here.

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The state has approved a speed limit reduction on a stretch of U.S. Highway 30 in Knappa where residents have flagged safety concerns.

In November, Hannah Olson, a 25-year-old woman, died after being struck by a car while crossing the intersection of the highway and Old Highway 30 near milepost 82. Her death led to an outcry among residents to improve pedestrian safety at the intersection, which had a 50 mph speed limit and yellow flashing lights.

The new speed limit will be 45 mph.

Read the story by Ethan Myers by clicking here.

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A young sunflower sea star was spotted at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach in May.

Researchers estimate about 99% of the population along the West Coast has been decimated since the onset of sea star wasting syndrome in 2013.

The sunflower sea star at Haystack Rock was one of five young sunflower sea stars reported along the Oregon Coast in the same week, according to the Oregon Department Fish and Wildlife.

Steven Rumrill, the shellfish program leader at the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the sightings provide some optimism regarding the population.

Of the other young sunflower sea stars spotted, he said three were observed at the mouth of Netarts Bay and one was snagged in a fisherman’s hook off of Port Orford.

Rumrill said the five “provides us with a feeling that somewhere along the coastline here there are sufficient numbers of adults and that they are successfully fending off the sea star mortality.

“And also, most importantly, getting together in close enough proximity to ensure successful fertilization.”

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

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— Derrick DePledge