Gregory Johnson trial set for March 17

A trial date of March 17 has been set for Gregory Brian Johnson, an Aberdeen resident known for his involvement with various civic projects who was charged with child rape and molestation in October.

Johnson, 49, is facing two counts of rape of a child in the second degree and two counts of child molestation in the first degree.

Johnson allegedly sexually molested two minors and was arrested by Aberdeen Police on Oct. 31 after an investigation was opened by the department. A female victim, now 23 years old, told police Johnson had raped her on numerous occasions from the time she was 9 until she was 16 years old. A male victim told police that Johnson forced him to take off his clothes and inappropriately touch Johnson when he was a minor.

Johnson started what he calls the Gregorian Group, which bills itself as a volunteer and resource center, according to the organization’s website. He has promoted and helped with several downtown Aberdeen betterment projects and his rent-free office space, first at the SouthShore Mall and then in other downtown storefronts, was billed as a safe place for young people to come after school.

CCAP flooded with phone calls, asks residents to be patient

Coastal Community Action Project has been struggling to keep up with the tremendous amount of phone calls it has received since the organization was deemed the center for flood relief, but CEO Craig Dublanko says the group is doing its best to make sure everyone gets the help they need.

“Even though the volume is high, we want people to call,” said Dublanko.

CCAP was deemed the clearinghouse for anything flood-related by an ad-hoc committee created by the county after the rain storm in early January. CCAP has since been tasked with referring those affected by the flood to agencies that the group thinks can best cater to their specific needs.

Dublanko says need has been extremely high, and estimates CCAP was receiving roughly 100 calls per day during the first week of the storm. Now, as requests have been slowly tapering off, he says the offices most likely are getting around 50 calls daily.

Residents have called asking for anything from help finding furniture to landing a place to stay, and due to the wide range of assistance needed, Dublanko made it clear that CCAP is not able to help everyone.

“If you’ve got insulation under your house that’s moldy, there might be a resource to help with that, but we don’t know what it is,” said Dublanko.

CCAP has been so overwhelmed that they have no idea how many families have been displaced since the flood. And, until things slow down at the office, it is unlikely a number will emerge. Adding to the difficulty of knowing how many residents have lost their home is that many of those affected are likely staying with family and friends and haven’t contacted CCAP, said Dublanko.

“Be patient with us,” said Dublanko. “These guys (CCAP employees) have been troopers trying to get everyone called back and going through lists trying to make sure everyone is contacted.”

Members of the Red Cross have recently moved into CCAP’s offices temporarily and are setting up appointments with residents who qualify for financial assistance, giving those hit hardest debit cards that can be used for food.

Anyone who needs flood assistance of any kind or questions about emergency relief should contact the Coastal Community Action Program at (360) 533-5100 ext. 151 or email barbm@coastalcap.org.

Renters and homeowners can report damages to Grays Harbor County Emergency Management at this link: http://ift.tt/1xZGupA

Hatfield aims to legalize hemp with SB 5012

State Sen. Brian Hatfield, D-Raymond, is spearheading a bill aimed at legalizing the production of hemp throughout the state.

The Committee on Agriculture, Water &Rural Economic Development passed Senate Bill 5012 on Tuesday. The bill allows the growth of “industrial hemp as a legal, agricultural activity” in Washington.

The bill defines industrial hemp as any cultivated part of a plant that contains 0.3 percent concentration or less of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Hemp can be refined to make oils, rope, cloth, wax and food.

Hatfield, a veteran of the Committee on Agriculture, Water &Rural Economic Development since 2007, said the crop could serve as another minor crop farmers could use to break even or make a small profit on. With all its potential uses in building materials,

“There’s hundreds of minor crops that we grow, so why shouldn’t hemp be on the list,” he said.

A section of the bill stipulates a study by Washington State University to determine the feasibility of hemp production in the state. The study aims to determine, in part, the market economic conditions that would affect a Washington hemp industry, any benefits the state might gain from the industry and the feasibility of growing hemp in Washington in accordance to soil content and growing conditions.

The university will present its findings to the legislator by January 2016.

Hatfield is co-sponsoring the bipartisan bill with Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside.

According to the statement, a hemp industry exists in five other U.S. states.

Though the U.S. is the largest hemp importer, Canada and China are its largest exporters.

Elma students protest sex offenders in school

About 30 Elma High School students walked out of class Friday after learning a classmate was a convicted sex offender.

The students had first met with the school district’s superintendent, Howard King, before demonstrating on Elma’s Main Street, voicing their concerns that sex offenders can be in the schools without notification to parents.

The students had recently learned that a 17-year-old, part-time Elma High student had pleaded guilty to two charges of rape of a child in December 2014. They learned of his identity after a clerical error at the Sheriff’s Office led to his photo and information being posted on the county’s sex offender website. There is no legal notification requirement for registered sex offenders of the student’s level — Level 1, or a low risk to re-offend.

“Some students took offense and thought that student shouldn’t be in our schools,” King said on Tuesday. “I tried to explain we don’t have that authority.”

Prosecutors said the student had sexual contact with two children younger than 10. The student had no prior criminal history. He was sentenced to two years probation and sex-offender treatment and ordered to attend school. Since the teen is not considered a high-risk to offend, the district must allow him to attend class, according to the state. The teen is classified as a Level 1 sex offender by the courts, the least dangerous level.

“Students have a right to public education, and that’s statewide,” King said. “If we took matters into our own hands, we could face legal consequences.”

Students were upset, not just about the particular student at Elma High but also with the larger issue, said Lacie Clark, a parent of a former Elma High student who had participated in Friday’s protest.

“It’s not about this one boy,” Clark said. “It’s about parents being informed of every and all sex offenders at their schools. They have the right to know.”

Disappointed by the district’s inability to act on the matter, students left school to protest, a move condemned by the district. The district has considered forgiving the students for their truancy.

“I told the students, ‘If you conduct yourselves appropriately, we may look the other way,’ ” King recounted.

A bus from the district was sent to pick up the students to return them to school after some time. Some, but not all, students boarded the bus and returned to the school. The district has not decided if any disciplinary measures will be taken against students who did not return, and the district would not comment further on student discipline.

“We will follow normal procedures,” King said. “We have a job here, and that job is to make sure students attend school.”

The student should never have been posted to the county’s sex-offender notification website, Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office Chief Criminal Deputy Steve Shumate said on Tuesday. By state law, Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders are posted, but Level 1 offenders are not. A clerical error (an unchecked box in computer software) led to the student’s photo and some details being uploaded.

“As soon as the error was brought to our attention, we remedied it immediately,” Shumate said. “We have hundreds of registered sex offenders we deal with, and unfortunately this can occur from time to time — but I can’t recall the last time it occurred. It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is.”

Jaen Henry remembered at North Beach

With about 200 people singing his favorite tune — the North Beach High School fight song — Jaen Henry was honored and remembered in a celebration of his years of service to the local school district and scores of students.

Henry died earlier this month at the age of 83. On Saturday, he and his wife Marjorie were lauded by those who knew him best as Mr. Hyak.

“Jaen and Marjorie Henry have come to be known as Mr. and Mrs. Hyak. Though not born or raised here, they have made Ocean Shores their home since 1986. Not having children of their own and being retired, they chose to adopt the students of the North Beach School District,” said the memorial service program handed out to those in attendance.

Also presented was a two-page list of all the ways Henry helped the school district over two decades, from attending every School Board meeting, to maintaining the booster boards in the gym, making nearly every game and sporting event.

“This is a celebration,” said Dave Wayman, master of ceremonies and one of the speakers as North Beach assistant superintendent. “Jaen was specific as he always was. He wanted it done that way, and that’s the way we are going to do it. And he would be happy about that.”

School Board Chairman Scott Sage, a longtime Henry friend, said it was fitting the celebration of Jaen’s life was held in the gym “where he and Marjorie spent countless hours watching the Seahawk and Hyak volleyball and basketball teams perform; watched the bands perform; watched choir performances, assemblies, and class after class graduate.”

Noting the large audience, Sage said it “demonstrates the number of students’ lives that Jaen touched.”

“Without question, we all owe Jaen a debt of gratitude for all he has done to make our community a better place to live,” Sage continued. “Jaen had wonderful sense of community. He understood that an important element of any community is its schools and the education provided for the youth of the community.”

Sage urged those in the crowd to use that same passion in giving back to the community, “just as Jaen was passionate about education and the students of the North Beach School District.”

North Beach Supt. Stan Pinnick told of how he first met Jaen Henry when he was first hired 15 years ago, and Henry was the first one in his office pledging to be “part of the solution.”

“From that point on, he became a team member to work with us for the best interests of our community,” Pinnick said. Henry worked for transportation, technology, and modernization school levies, and the bond levy hat led to the new Ocean Shores Elementary School and the renovation of Pacific Beach Elementary.

“His love was for all kids, and for all kids to go forward,” Pinnick said.

High School Principal Brett Mackey also stressed the theme of celebration: “Yes, Hyak nation lost a family member last week. We all know how hard that is. But today, we celebrate. We celebrate a very unique individual.”

Elma Chamber gets “Uncorked” this weekend.

The 8th Annual Winter Wine Festival, “Uncorked” will take place this Saturday at the Grays Harbor Fairgrounds in Elma. The event is for those 21 and over and with the $15 admission, you get a drink ticket, allowing 10 samples and a commemorative wine glass.

The Elma Chamber of Commerce hosts 20 Washington wineries and offers a silent auction as well.

The event begins at noon, with live music by Marty Beagle starting at 1 p.m. Ready or Not Band will hit the stage at 4 p.m. and Heart by Heart will follow at 7 p.m. The event ends at 9 p.m.

The fairgrounds office can be reached at 360-482-2651 or at http://ift.tt/1uywDHF.

City of Hoquiam estimates Beacon Hill Drive will be open on Thursday

Though costs to repair the area surrounding Hoquiam’s Beacon Hill Drive have gone up, city officials estimate that the road could reopen as early as Thursday.

Following flooding and landslides earlier this month, repair costs for the area’s sewer, road and dirt removal amounted to about $500,000 as of last week. Several ruptured water mains have since raised the cost to about $800,000, said Brian Shay, the city’s administrator. He added that city officials expect all fixes — besides repairs to the sewer — to be finished by Thursday.

Beacon Hill Drive itself has remained closed since the flood and landslides earlier this month, with the only access for owners of property atop the hill provided by a logging road on the backside.

“Fortunately that road was there so people had access, but it’s still been a great inconvenience,” Shay said, adding that the city added cones and barricades to keep drivers safe on the poorly lit road.

An apartment complex at the top of the hill, Shay said, appeared to be on stable ground after an examination by the city’s geologists. The city recommended that the owner of the complex hire their own geologist to take a closer look, he added.

Even with repairs underway, Shay said the city is still concerned for the six residents whose homes were condemned after the slide.

“I think the most troubling thing about this has been those six homeowners who had a total loss of their homes,” he said. “Those are probably $200,000 homes and they are pretty much an entire loss, so my heart goes out to those people.”