Washington

Crabbers rebound from Southwest Washington seafood facility fire

Published

2 years ago

January 30, 2024

Crabbers rebound from Southwest Washington seafood facility fire

Washingotn state Sen. Jeff Wilson and U.S. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez talk with commercial fisherman Jay Vaughn in Ilwaco about the impacts of a Jan. 22 seafood facility fire on local fishermen. Vaughn did not lose gear, but was able to provide some to fishermen who had.

Katie Frankowicz / KMUN

On Monday, commercial crabbers in Oregon and Washington state started dropping baited circular steel crab pots into the ocean.

On Thursday, they will start hauling them back up — hopefully full of Dungeness crab.

It’s a critical and fast-paced time. The bulk of the crab caught in the lucrative fishery is typically landed in the early weeks of the season.

On the water this week are fishermen who saw hundreds of their crab pots burn up in a fire at a seafood landing facility in Ilwaco, Washington, a week before the fishery was set to open.

An estimated 4,000 pots were lost in the Jan. 22 fire at the Bornstein Seafoods facility. Now, almost as many are back in the fishermen’s hands.

Crabbers up and down the West Coast rallied to get them replacement gear, loaning hundreds of pots for the entire season. Locally, people, businesses and other groups have set up donations and other aid to get fishing families through the start of the season. Political leaders are also pledging state and federal support over the coming months.

A cloud of black smoke rises above a large fire at a building located on the shore of the Pacific Ocean in Southwest Washington. — A seafood facility in Ilwaco, Washington caught fire on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is still unknown.
*Courtesy Kathy Hudkins*
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U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat who represents southwest Washington state, visited with community leaders, the Port of Ilwaco and fishermen late last week to discuss what resources are available to rebuild and what support might be needed at higher levels of government.

The congresswoman told KMUN the way the community has come together is inspiring.

“I mean, if government worked half as well as this community does, coming together, we’d be in a much different world,” she said.

Gluesenkamp Perez said she will be looking at different types of proactive support around disaster grants and government-backed small-business loans.

“I would say often you see that the people who end up getting these grants and loans are the ones that have administrative capacity,” she said. “It’s not the owner-operator, it’s not the independent — and that’s wrong.”

Gluesenkamp Perez is the owner of a Portland auto repair shop and said she knows there’s a high barrier.

“I’m really committed to leveling the playing field and seeing this community thrive and continue to thrive as a fishing community,” she said.

With Gluesenkamp Perez was state Sen. Jeff Wilson, a Republican who represents Washington’s 19th legislative district, which includes Ilwaco. His office has been working at the state level to make sure fishermen have what they need to get on the water.

He told KMUN credit is due to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which moved quickly to make sure fishermen had the identification tags needed for each new crab pot.

But Wilson said there is work to be done to make sure Bornstein’s can rebuild — not in two years, but in the coming year.

In Oregon, state Rep. Cyrus Javadi and Sen. Suzanne Weber said the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has assured them that the 1,320 Oregon tags impacted by the fire would be reissued in time for the season at no extra cost.

“The fishing and crabbing industry is the backbone of the North Oregon Coast. Our local economy depends on their ability to bring in the highest quality seafood to feed Oregonians and the nation,” Weber, a Tillamook Republican, said in a statement.

Javadi, also a Tillamook Republican, thanked the Department of Fish and Wildlife “for responding quickly to give our crabbers some much-needed regulatory flexibility during this difficult time.”

Fire investigators wrapped up their investigation into the cause of the blaze on Saturday, but have not publicly announced their findings. A final cost estimate has not been determined, but the fire resulted in a total loss. Drone footage of the site shows blackened crab pots on a skeleton dock and debris where buildings once stood.

Investigators with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are writing the final origin and cause report. Once the report is complete, the findings will be given to the Ilwaco Fire Department.

This story is part of a collaboration between KMUN and The Astorian.

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Related Topics:Crabbing | Coast Featured

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Washington

HIGHLIGHT | Lawrence Dots a Pass to Washington for a 6-Yard TD

Published

6 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

HIGHLIGHT | Lawrence Dots a Pass to Washington for a 6-Yard TD

DE Dawuane Smoot, LB Foyesade Oluokun, TE Brenton Strange, S Eric Murray, and S Antonio Johnson speak with the media after practice on Thursday ahead of the Wild Card Matchup vs. Bills.

0:00 – 2:28 – DE Dawuane Smoot

2:29 – 6:24 – LB Foyesade Oluokun

6:25 – 9:25 – TE Brenton Strange

9:26 – 11:32 – S Eric Murray

11:33 – 13:46 – S Antonio Johnson

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Washington

Iran warns Washington it will retaliate against any attack

Published

18 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Iran warns Washington it will retaliate against any attack

DUBAI, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Iran warned President Donald Trump on Sunday that any U.S. attack would lead to Tehran striking back against Israel and regional U.S. military bases as “legitimate targets”, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told parliament.

Israel is on high alert for the possibility of a U.S. intervention to support a nationwide protest movement in Iran, sources said.

Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by William Mallard

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

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Washington

Washington National Opera cuts ties with the Kennedy Center after longstanding partnership | CNN Politics

Published

2 days ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Washington National Opera cuts ties with the Kennedy Center after longstanding partnership | CNN Politics

The Washington National Opera on Friday announced it is parting ways with the Kennedy Center after more than a decade with the arts institution.

“Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity,” the opera said in a statement.

The decoupling marks another high-profile withdrawal since President Donald Trump and his newly installed board of trustees instituted broad thematic and cosmetic changes to the building, including renaming the facility “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”

The opera said it plans to “reduce its spring season and relocate performances to new venues.”

A source familiar with the dynamic told CNN the decision to part ways was made by the opera’s board and its leadership, and that the decision was not mutual.

A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said in a statement, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship. We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”

Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, who was appointed by Trump’s hand-picked board, said on X, “Having an exclusive relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice and variety.”

Grenell added, “Having an exclusive Opera was just not financially smart. And our patrons clearly wanted a refresh.”

Since taking the reins at the center, Grenell has cut existing staff, hired political allies and mandated a “break-even policy” for every performance.

The opera said the new policy was a factor in its decision to leave the center.

“The Center’s new business model requires productions to be fully funded in advance—a requirement incompatible with opera operations,” the opera said.

Francesca Zambello, the opera’s artistic director, said she is “deeply saddened to leave The Kennedy Center.”

“In the coming years, as we explore new venues and new ways of performing, WNO remains committed to its mission and artistic vision,” she said.

The New York Times first reported the opera’s departure.

Founded in 1956 as the “Opera Society of Washington,” the group has performed across the district, taking permanent residency in the Kennedy Center in 2011.

The performing arts center has been hit with a string of abrupt cancellations from artists in recent weeks including the jazz group The Cookers and New York City-based dance company Doug Varone and Dancers who canceled their performances after Trump’s name was added to the center – a living memorial for assassinated President John F. Kennedy.

The American College Theater Festival voted to suspend its relationship with the Kennedy Center, calling the affiliation “no longer viable” and citing concerns over a misalignment of the group’s values.

American banjo player Béla Fleck withdrew his upcoming performance with the National Symphony Orchestra, saying that performing at the center has become “charged and political.”

The Brentano String Quartet, who canceled their February 1 performance at the Kennedy Center, said they will “regretfully forego performing there.”

CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center on the additional cancellations.

The opera said, “The Board and management of the company wish the Center well in its own future endeavors.”

CNN’s Betsy Klein and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report.

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