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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On a recent drizzly afternoon, Alexia Smith opened the doors to a small building tucked behind a row of food carts downtown.

Away from the blustery weather, the scent of candles filled the air, and a line of hanging lights cast a warm glow onto a set of armchairs and a sofa inside. Posters freckled the wall – a few boasting painted sailboats, and another reading “Consent is sexy” atop a multicolor backdrop.

The space, which reopened earlier this month, is meant for youth ages 13 to 18 — and to Smith, it’s filling an important gap.

“Coming here to a small town, I was really kind of shocked at the lack of resources and availability of things, especially for youth,” said Smith, co-director of services at The Harbor. “They need a place to go that’s safe, and I think it’s crucial, especially here.”

The Harbor is Clatsop County’s designated service provider for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. For the past several years, the Astoria nonprofit has discussed creating a youth space after receiving feedback from community partners identifying a need. After briefly opening in the spring, that space — called The Dock — is now back up and running.

“It’s a space where youth can just go and have a conversation with a trusted adult about whatever they want to if they need to, or where they can connect with peers and have similar conversations, or they can just go and have someplace to be that isn’t outside or isn’t somewhere where you have to spend money,” said Terri Steenbergen, The Harbor’s executive director.

See the story by Olivia Palmer by clicking here.

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More Oregon students are regularly attending school and on track to graduate, but school districts are still struggling to bring attendance back to pre-pandemic levels, according to data released by the state Department of Education on Thursday.

The data, which the state releases annually, provides a window into progress on key metrics at the school, district and state levels.

“These profiles are more than just numbers,” Charlene Williams, the director of the Department of Education, said at a recent webinar. “They are an opportunity for us to respond thoughtfully, using proven strategies to improve student outcomes while adjusting where needed to address these emerging challenges.”

Read the story by Olivia Palmer by clicking here.

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The Gearhart Volunteer Fire Department will collaborate with Columbia Memorial Hospital and Clatsop Community College on emergency simulation training using new, state-of-the-art equipment funded by a competitive federal grant.

In 2022, the Oregon Area Health Education Center secured a federal Simulation Education Training grant through their Oregon Pacific Area Health Education Center at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. The Lebanon center purchased the grant equipment and distributed it to local fire departments.

Eventually, that led to Gearhart, a regional training hub, receiving two full sets of adult and infant training manikins.

Eric Wiser, the director of the Oregon Area Health Education Center, said the equipment enables organizations like the fire department in Gearhart to provide more realistic scenarios to educate and train health care professionals and emergency responders, especially those serving in rural and medically underfunded areas.

“Otherwise, health care professionals would just go without training or be forced to travel to receive it, which takes time and resources away from their community,” he said in a statement.

Take a look at the story by Jasmine Lewin by clicking here.

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— Derrick DePledge