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 state grant will help improve lighting on the Astoria Riverwalk in Uniontown.

More than $433,000 from the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Oregon Community Paths grant program will add bollard lights between the Astoria Bridge and the Trolley Barn. The funds will also improve the pedestrian crossing at the Riverwalk and Basin Street.

Combined with a match of about $186,000 from the Astor West Urban Renewal District, the total project cost would come in at over $619,000.

A separate grant from the Department of Transportation helped the city add bollard lights between the Columbia River Maritime Museum and Mill Pond. The lighting is expected to be extended from Mill Pond to 39th Street by next year.

Once both projects are complete, the Riverwalk will have continuous lighting from Uniontown to Uppertown.

See the story by Nicole Bales by clicking here.

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Levies to help finance fire protection in Cannon Beach and police operations in Warrenton were on track to pass after Election Day on Tuesday, although it remains close in Cannon Beach.

Measure 4-226, which would impose a new, five-year levy to finance operations for the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District, was passing 51% to 49% — or by 13 votes — after initial counts.

The levy, which would help fund administrative staff and add three paid firefighters, would cost $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value and generate about $10.6 million over five years. For a home assessed at $420,000, the proposed levy would cost about $630 a year.

The new levy would replace and consolidate the expiring levies and bond — including two five-year levies that support the fire chief’s position, a second commanding officer and equipment replacement. A five-year bond finances a ladder truck.

Combined with a permanent tax rate of 35 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, the new levy would increase the total tax rate from 98 cents to $1.85 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

In Warrenton, voters were supporting Measure 4-225 by a 75% to 25% margin on Tuesday night. The levy would increase the tax rate from 28 cents to 34 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The new tax rate would cost an estimated $85 a year on a home valued at $250,000.

The increase would take effect in July and is estimated to bring in more than $1.5 million for the police department over five years.

The city cautioned that the police department could lose two full-time positions if the measure failed, noting that rising costs and training requirements have made it difficult to finance police operations.

Clatsop County is expected to update election results later this month.

Read the stories by Nicole Bales and Rebecca Norden-Bright by clicking here and here.

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Seaside has finalized a contract with Medix Ambulance Service on a new ambulance meant to help improve response times to emergency calls.

Medical calls will continue to be routed to Medix, which is owned by Hillsboro-based Metro West Ambulance. The company is exclusively contracted by Clatsop County to provide emergency and nonemergency ambulance and wheelchair transportation.

Seaside’s ambulance will operate as a subcontractor to Medix, and the company’s dispatchers will decide who will respond to each call, prioritizing Medix crews first. The city’s ambulance will respond to calls when Medix is delayed and as staffing allows.

City officials say people should not notice a difference except for quicker service.

The Astorian reported in April that Medix had routinely failed to meet response time requirements for emergency medical calls for more than a year. Medix cited a nationwide paramedic shortage and issues brought on by the coronavirus pandemic as factors.

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

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— Derrick DePledge