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A longtime Washougal resident accused in the hit-and-run deaths of two German tourists at Sandy Swimming Hole made his first court appearance Wednesday at Clark County Superior Court. He told police he’d been drinking at a local Chinese resident prior to Tuesday’s incident.

David Croswell, 71, is facing two counts of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence of intoxicants and two counts of hit-and-run resulting in death.

Court records show a preliminary breath test taken Tuesday night revealed Croswell had a blood-alcohol level of .085. .08 or greater is considered driving under the influence.

He was pushed into court in a restraint chair as he requires oxygen.

The prosecution Wednesday asked for $200,000 bail due to the nature of the case. Croswell himself has minimal criminal history — a 1982 conviction for first-degree negligent driving, and possession of marijuana.

Judge Gregory Gonzales set Croswell’s bail at $500,000. His arraignment is scheduled for July 10.

What we know about Croswell:

  • He’s a lifelong resident of Washougal.
  • He has medical issues, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD.
  • His daughter, Leticia, who lives with him, said her father drinks about once a month, and that no alcohol in the house appeared to be missing, according to a court affidavit. She said “… David sometimes will sneak down to ‘Chinese restaurant’ and drink with (a) friend.”
  • Officers said Croswell admitted to drinking alcohol beforehand, according to court records.
  • He has minimal criminal history.

Police do not believe Croswell has any connection to the victims, Rudolf Hohstadt, 61, and Regina Hohstadt, 62, who were German tourists on vacation. The incident happened at 4:50 Tuesday afternoon, said Sgt. Alex Schoening, of the Clark County Sheriff’s Department.

Sandy Swimming Hole continues to be roped off, pending a complete investigation. It’s a popular summer destination for local youth and families.

Our second article in this case: https://lacamasmagazine.com/2019/06/sandy-swimming-hole-washougal-resident-charged-with-killing-2-victims-idd.html

To learn more about Sandy Swimming Hole, click here: http://visitwashougal.com/tour/sandy-swimming-hole/

Sandy Swimming Hole
Call today: 360-409-3167

Washougal, WA – The Two Rivers Heritage Museum reopened their doors March 1 to welcome visitors after their annual four-month closure for maintenance and display enhancements.  

“Winter is always a busy time for us,” said Camas-Washougal Historical Society President, Jim Cobb.  “Even though the museum is closed for guests, we have a lot cleaning, repairing and reorganizing to do to keep it looking good and our exhibits fresh.” 

In addition to new displays, a more modern security system was installed and additional space in the basement was organized for accessioning and curator work. 

One of the new exhibits is called “OH, Teddy!” and as might be expected, features Teddy bears. 

“While inventorying we found that we have lots and lots of dolls and Teddy bears,” said Karen Johnson, accessions volunteer and Oh Teddy curator. 

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Most of the collection came from the estate of Barbara Heriford, a local collector who had visions of opening a doll shop before she passed away.

“We decided it would be fun to replace the old toy exhibit and bring out these bears that had been packed away for so many years,” said Johnson. “All we had was a list, so we went to work locating them all.  It was a matter of pawing through boxes to find what we had.  It was actually pretty fun. You’d open a box and say, ’Oh, look what I found!’ Each box you opened it was like ‘oh look, oh look, oh look!’  The bears are all so different and cute.”

The process then took more than a month to decide which bears to display and figure out how best to show them. “We have so many bears we could not just line them up in a row,” said Johnson.  “I did research online to see how other Teddy bear exhibits were set up. I saw an exhibit from Japan which is the inspiration for the tight packed bears in the glass case we have now.” 

Since the bears were mostly from a collection, there was not a lot of story behind each of them.  So, Johnson decided to tell the story of the how stuffed toy bears became known as Teddy Bears.

“It is quite an interesting story,” Johnson teased. “It all started with a bear hunting trip President Theodore Roosevelt took in 1902. That is all I’ll say.  I’d like to invite visitors to come in to learn the rest!”

To help explain the Teddy bear story, Sunni Lambert, a 4th grade student at Cape Horn-Skye Elementary, was recorded telling its history so it could be played back for guests at a push of a button.  “Sunni did a great job and her recorded sweet voice telling this story helps to bring the exhibit to life,” Johnson said.

Another new display “Toys That Teach,” is a thoughtful and fun look at toys through the past that educated through play.  “It is an interesting display and we think it will engage conversation,” Johnson said. Retired contractor and teacher, Walt Eby, curated the exhibit.

Museum
Teddy Bears!

“Window to Our Past” is also new this year. Curated and created by Ivar Godtilbsen, the museum’s new computer network and support administrator features old pictures and QR codes. “It’s a new way of engaging our visitors,” explained Johnson.  “They can use their smart phones with a QR code App to learn intriguing stories behind some interesting pictures from our photo collection.”

The Two Rivers Heritage Museum is located at 1 Durgan Street in Washougal and open March through October.  Regular hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Admission costs are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for students and free for children under 5 and all CWHS members.  Group tours are available any day of the week (by appointment only).  Call 360-835-8742 for scheduling. 

Once again, to celebrate spring break, students may visit the museum for free April 4-6.  They must be accompanied by an adult.

CWHS representatives will be at the April First Friday, on April 5, in downtown Camas in the lobby of Journey Church.  They will have interesting local artifacts and information about the work progressing on the Gathering Place at Washuxwal project. 

“Our community has so much to be proud of in this museum,” Cobb said.  “We hope local folks who have not had a chance to see the museum will stop in and look around at all we have to offer.”

CWHS is always looking for volunteers and new members to join and help support the preservation of local history. More information about the CWHS and the Two Rivers Heritage Museum can be found on their website at www.2rhm.com.

VANCOUVER, WA – Community Home Health & Hospice is hosting an open house to celebrate the grand opening of their new grief center in Salmon Creek. The open house will take place on March 6, 2019, from 4 pm – 6:30pm at the Seasons of Hope Grief Center, 3102 NE 134th Street, Vancouver. The ribbon cutting with the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce will take place at 4:30 pm. Attendees will enjoy refreshments hosted by Glenwood Place Senior Living, The Quarry and The Hampton Salmon Creek, games, live entertainment and prizes.

“We are excited about this project and humbled by the support we received. We could not have done this without the Clark County community,” said Greg Pang, CEO Community Home Health & Hospice. “We know there is a need for grief services in our community and we look forward to being a great community resource.”

The Seasons of Hope Grief Center offers free grief support for adults and children ages 5 and up in Clark County. For more information, contact 360.703.0300 or [email protected]

About Community Home Health & Hospice

Community Home Health & Hospice is an independent, community-based non-profit healthcare agency serving the healthcare needs of Washington and Oregon families since 1977. Their services include home care personal services, home health, home hospice, in-patient hospice care and bereavement services. Every day, they care for 775 patients throughout Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum Counties in Washington and Columbia County in Oregon. Community Home Health & Hospice’s mission is to bring peace of mind to patients and their families by providing compassionate, dignified, collaborative, and patient-focused home healthcare and hospice. They have received recognition for nine years as a HomeCare Elite top agency. For more information, visit www.chhh.org

Grief

The grounds at the grief center.

MOUNT HOOD, OR — A Battle Ground pilot missing since last Friday’s departure from Grove Field is presumed dead after authorities discovered his plane’s wreckage on Mt. Hood, authorities said today.

George Regis, 63, a veteran pilot, took off from Grove Field Airport in Fern Prairie on January 25 in a four-person, single engine plane. The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office said he was the only person in the plane, which was en route to Arizona.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Civil Air Patrol received a signal from the plane’s emergency locator in the area of Eliot Glacier, on the northeast side of Mount Hood.

CAP confirmed the tail number of the plane matched the aircraft that was registered to Regis. An Oregon Air National Guard helicopter crew said they discovered a body, as well, which is believed to be Regis, according to the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office.

They also reported that they found a new flight plan that would have taken him around Mt. Hood, which greatly assisted in their search.

The authorities also confirmed that a recovery operation will begin on Wednesday morning.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office had asked on Monday for any information that may help them find Regis. The Grove Field Aviation Association did the same thing.

CAMAS, WA — The Clark County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that George Regis, a 63-year-old pilot, who was last seen departing Grove Field Airport in Camas, is listed as missing.

In their press release, authorities say that Regis departed Grove Field Airport (which is located at 632 NE 267th Ave. in the Fern Prairie area) around noon on Friday, January 25, and that he has not been heard from since that departure.  The Clark County Sheriff’s Office believes Regis may have been traveling Southwest —  to either Arizona or Texas.

His cellular telephone sent a final signal in the Newberg/Dundee, Oregon area on Saturday, January 26. A flight plan was not filed, and is not required of pilots and aircraft departing Grove Field, which is part of the Port of Camas-Washougal.

If anyone has information about Regis or his whereabouts, the authorities are asking you to call 911.

Grove Field is home to many local airplanes, both new and active, as well as vintage, and there are long-range plans to expand the airport. There has been a growing interest in aviation in the last few years, and Grove Field has been instrumental in helping people learn about the industry and how to fly aircraft.

Olympia, WA — With the measles outbreak in Clark County continuing to grow, Governor Jay Inslee issued a proclamation Friday morning declaring a State of Emergency.

The proclamation directed the Washington State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan to be implemented, which allows state agencies and departments to utilize state resources to assist in prevention and response efforts.

There are now 30 confirmed cases of measles across Clark County. Friday evening, the following lawmakers from Washington’s 17th and 18th Legislative Districts issued the statement below:

  • Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center
  • Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver
  • Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver
  • Rep. Brandon Vick, R-Vancouver
  • Rep. Larry Hoff, R-Vancouver

“We appreciate Governor Inslee issuing a State of Emergency this morning. The outbreak of measles in our local communities is extremely concerning, but we are thankful every resource has been made available to help the Department of Health respond quickly and effectively.

“The governor’s proclamation not only provides essential resources and personnel, but also brings a heightened public awareness about this dangerous and preventable disease. While this is an uncertain and unfortunate time for many across our county, this State of Emergency will help reduce the spread and length of the outbreak. We will continue to closely monitor the situation.”

For more information about the measles outbreak in Clark County, as well as resources on how you can prevent its spread, click here to visit the Washington State Department of Health’s website.

Town Hall

From left: Representative-elect Larry Hoff, Senator Ann River, and Representative Brandon Vick.

Vancouver, WA — As part of their group meeting at Green Meadows Thursday evening, the Clark County Republican Women (CCRW) presented a check to Pathways Pregnancy Center of Camas and Washougal.

The check, which was presented by CCRW president, Brook Pell, is part of the group’s annual “Impact Award,” which raises funds for local charitable organizations that support women throughout the county.  Funds come from group members, with a matching donation from CCRW.

“CCRW membership is honored to present this monetary contribution to Pathways,” said Pell. “We could not have selected a more deserving organization as the first recipient of our annual CCRW Impact Award. Each year, volunteers and staff at Pathways are saving lives and helping women in need.”

Pathways Pregnancy Clinic provides services to young women who are coping with the fears and anxieties of an unplanned pregnancy. The faith-based organization provides counseling, ultrasounds, and free pregnancy tests.

Pathways is open during regular business hours, and is located at 2926 E Street in Washougal. For more information, call Pathways at 360.834.2829.

The presentation was part of a larger meeting that included a silent auction, dinner, group updates, and a keynote address by expert forensics accountant, Tiffany Couch, who addressed myths about public school funding. She provided information about confusion that surrounds the current McCleary school funding legislation, and its impact on local school districts.

To learn more, visit ClarkCountyRepublicanWomen.org

George, Washington — A bus accident in Central Washington changed many lives on Thanksgiving Day, including Battle Ground City Councilor, Shane Bowman, his family, and the small town of George.

Moments after bus three in a six-bus caravan transporting University of Washington Marching Band and Spirit Squad members to Pullman slid and rolled on the icy highway, Bowman said he heard the sirens of fire trucks and ambulances passing through George.

“I grew up in Central Washington four miles from George, we were visiting for Thanksgiving, working outside and we heard some police sirens and ambulances, so we assumed there was an accident,” said Bowman. “We finished our work and pulled up the news and learned that a UW band bus rolled over just six miles from us. My son said we should go see if we they need any help.”

So they did.

Within moments, the Bowman’s found out they were triaging victims at George Elementary School. So, they called the fire chief and asked if they needed anything.

“They said they needed food and blankets,” said Bowman. “We rounded up everything we had and headed down there. All the buses were there, five in total. So, we just took in everything that we had, we called a few friends to gather food, and we went to the gas station and cleared out all the hot pockets and burritos we could buy. We bought a couple hundred of them.”

Bus

Local community members brought everything they could to feed the 325 students and staff.

Using the tiny school’s kitchen, they heated up the food, put out the snacks, and watched local community members bring in their delicious Thanksgiving food.

“We fed all of them,” said Bowman. “We had enough water and people showed up with everything — soups and enchiladas. Everything.”

From 6:15 pm until the UW buses departed at 10:30 pm, Bowman’s family, including his son, Trey, and his parents, Alan and Sue (and a total crew of about 10) stayed for the duration. Another 15-20 families came in and dropped off food.

“We’d been down there quite a while, and a whole bunch of food came in — the kids just snacked on anything we had,” said Bowman. “Then a bunch of people brought in more food, blankets and mattresses. A couple even came in from Wenatchee on those icy roads. We thought they were going to spend the night at the school at first. It was chaos, but I was impressed with how professional everyone was. The UW students and staff are incredible. They had a lot to deal with. No complaining from anyone. The whole group was very professional.”

Bowman also got to spend time with Union High School graduate, Tommy Strassenberg, who used to live in Battle Ground. Strassenberg was a phenomenal wrestler who is now part of the UW Cheer team.

Everyone was equally impressed with the first responders — especially given the resource constraints an accident this size causes in rural Washington. Bowman said each little jurisdiction has ambulances, but they don’t have the resources here to deal with something this big.

The UW students are dealing with a spectrum of injuries — from sore backs and lacerations to broken bones and concussions, however, Bowman said it could have been a lot worse.

“I spoke with the bus driver of bus 4 who said he nearly hit bus 3,” he said. “A second collision would have made things a lot worse. We’re very grateful there were no fatalities. There was a lot of ice on the road. We have four-wheel drive pickups and the roads were slick. It was bad out there. There was freezing rain and sleet for about an hour.

“Regarding the response, I don’t expect anything different. I was in Battle Ground when we had the tornado come through, and we had the same thing there. People just stepped up, and put aside all their differences, and that’s what was cool. All the Fire Departments here are volunteers. It’s refreshing to see everyone help out.”

The UW students spent the night at Moses Lake, and will likely return to Seattle tomorrow morning. They won’t attend the Apple Cup, which was their destination.

Camas, WA — Lacamas Magazine is officially part of Apple News!

What does this mean? Well, each time we post an article from our main website, www.LacamasMagazine.com, and if you subscribe to Apple News (and us) you will receive automatic updates through your Apple News feed. The service is available to consumers who use iPhones, iPads, iMacs, etc.

To sign up, do the following:

  1. Go to this link: Lacamas Magazine on Apple News — Or click on the Apple News App on your device.
  2. In the Search Field, type “Lacamas Magazine.”
  3. Then click on the heart icon to subscribe. It’s that simple!

As we continue to grow — thanks to viewers like — this new endeavor helps expand our presence and reach, and puts us in line with local news cycles from other news outlets like Fox12, OregonLive.com, and many others.

We appreciate all the work by our business partner, Ransom Collective. Please provide feedback.

We are also in Pilot for Google News for our Android users, and will have more information about that in about eight weeks.

 

Apple

Access via iPhone.

About Us

LACAMAS MAGAZINE was launched in 2012 driven by our passion for journalistic excellence seeking real stories about real people. We’ve interviewed mayors, state representatives, a Chamber of Commerce President, CEOs, school principals, city councilors, teachers, athletes, students, pastors, and kids! We’ve discovered fascinating accounts of triumph and tragedy, stamina and strength, hard work, and determination.

We endeavor to share your stories and to publish original and compelling features. With the rise of social media, information has become a recycling of content. We are determined to pursue a higher path.

Washington, D.C. — Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed H.R. 2345, the “National Suicide Hotline Improvements Act of 2018,” which the White House says “requires the Federal Communications Commission, in coordination with the Departments of Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs, to study the feasibility of designating a three-digit dialing code for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system.”

HB 2345, sponsored by Congressman Chris Stewart in the US House of Representatives, and its companion bill, sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch in the US Senate is the first step toward getting a nationwide three-digit code, like 911, designated to helping those with suicide thoughts and other mental health issues.

Utah Senator Daniel Thatcher has been championing this issue since 2013.

“It has consumed my life, and this is a giant leap in the right direction,” said Thatcher. “We’re all familiar with 911, which is used for emergencies, and I’m sure none of us under 50 remember life before 911. This legislation directs the FCC to look at the efficacy of the other 3-digit numbers and will set one up for mental health. This legislation is a huge deal! It is to mental health what 911 is to physical health. We lose more Utahns under 25 to mental health than to physical health. When it fully materializes, people who are contemplating suicide will have a 3-digit dial code to call, like 611, and there will be professionals answering calls to help people get through a crisis.”

The FCC will examine all 3-digit numbers, from 211-811, and decide which number is best. Thatcher is betting on 611.

So, what are all the 3-digit numbers currently used for? Let’s take a look:

  • 211: Set up for government services. People can call and get help for unemployment, for example.
  • 311: This is a vanity phone number for local governments. For example, if you have a briefcase in a New York City taxi, they will help you track it down. Thatcher says “311 does the same thing as 211.”
  • 411: Not officially designated, but the FCC gave conditional approval for temporary use in 1993, but is widely known and used for information services.
  • 511: Nationwide traffic and weather hotline. Used in some places to call and make sure roads are safe.
  • 611: Not officially designated, the FCC gave conditional permission for telecom to use 611 for customer service. Thatcher says this is the least critical of these numbers, and the most likely to be chosen.
  • 711: This is for the hearing impaired, for tele text.
  • 811: This is the call before you dig a hole in your background hotline. It gets the utility companies to mark out your property before digging a hole — to avoid cutting a electrical or gas line.
  • 911: Easily the best-known number in the world.

 

Suicide

Senator Dan Thatcher, with his wife, Summer.

The History

Thatcher has been working on this legislation in his home state of Utah since 2013.

”We discussed what to do with tip reporting on phone lines, and we learned that if a kid calls a suicide line it could take hours to get back with him. It just wasn’t staffed properly,” said Thatcher. “I knew we needed 24/7 coverage with mental health professionals. We needed texting capability, and we needed a phone number that people could remember. A 10-digit number isn’t something people could easily remember.”

So, Thatcher said he tried to get a 3-digit code passed in Utah.

“I wanted 311 to go to Utah for counseling services,” he said. “I worked with local leaders, and it just didn’t happen. We tried really hard to get it done. So, right now we’re using a national life line number. Most people don’t remember 10-digit numbers.”

After failing to get support in Utah, Thatcher approached Senator Hatch and Representative Stewart and they immediately saw the need. They called in experts and they conducted a round table to see how to best approach this. The group saw the value of designating a 3-digit number on a national scale.

Their bill, called the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act was passed in the US Congress several weeks ago, and was just signed Tuesday by President Trump.

Senator Hatch’s office released this statement:

“With this topic, my heart is both heavy and hopeful—heavy because suicide has already taken so many lives; hopeful because this legislation can turn the tide in the campaign against this epidemic,” said Hatch. “With this bill, we can prevent countless tragedies and help thousands of men and women get the help they so desperately need. I’m grateful this lifesaving proposal has been signed into law.”

Representative Stewart’s office released this statement:

“This is a great day for Utah and a great day for the Nation. We now have the opportunity to make the National Suicide Prevention Hotline more accessible and easier to remember. By creating a hotline dialing code that is short and easy to remember, we are taking an important step towards potentially averting tragedy.  This new law truly has the ability to save lives. I’m grateful that the President signed this into law in a timely manner.”

It was a fantastic day for Thatcher, as well.

”I don’t think people understand what just happened,” said Thatcher. “I think we’ll look back and wonder how we ever lived without this. I may be crying all day.”

Editor’s Note: We know Senator Thatcher because he helped co-sponsor a bill in Utah that built on our #MarchKindness campaign. In Utah, the bill became known as #MSDKindness and encouraged citizens across Utah to conducts acts of kindness to honor those students killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, FL.

Suicide

Senator Dan Thatcher, with his wife, Summer.