Cowlitz Regional News

Jump in the water’s fine … at least is was until the sewer line collapsed. The sewer line collapsed and created a sinkhole the first week of the new year. The sinkhole is located by the Elementary School, and it affects approxiametly 1/3rd of the City on the Southeast side – not only that, it was Tyler Stones first week in his new position as the Director of Public Works.

In Loving Memory – Cowlitz County Obituaries 1/31/2026

A 25-year-old Longview Man was found deceased earlier this week after a standoff involving the SWAT team at a home in Kalama

HB 2489 would prohibit cities from enforcing camping bans unless they can afford to house every homeless person with their pets and belongings in the immediate area. HB 2266 would require cities to permit homeless shelters anywhere outside industrial zones that allow residential housing and hotels.

Weirdest Alleged Crime of the week-Glue Sniffing; Highest Bail of the week-$50,000 ; 44 arrests, and lots of crazy calls.

A massive confrontation unfolded in Olympia on Thursday, January 15, 2026, as Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank and several other sheriffs delivered blistering testimony against Senate Bill 5974. The controversial legislation, heard before the Senate Law and Justice Committee, would grant an unelected state commission the power to “decertify” and effectively remove constitutionally elected sheriffs from office.

First responders found a male bicyclist down on the roadway near 30th and Ocean Beach Hwy. He had a serious but non-life-threatening hip injury.

Our police got a bit of a reprieve this week; there were only 41 arrests, compared with 49 last week. There are some ugly charges, though. We all know about the former school superintendent charged with possession and distribution of child pornography, but there are lots of others. Criminal Impersonations, unlawful imprisonment, fugitive from justice, along with lots of DUIs, and even vehicular assault.