Wasco County Commissioners approved an ordinance to place its share of Google Strategic Investment Program funds into an endowment fund to grow and provide a steady source of funds for the County to use in the future. There was some testimony suggesting setting aside some of the money for other, more immediate uses. But Commission Chair Scott Hege said it was an opportunity for the County to set a direction to provide a source of revenue in the future. Hege noted the support of the County’s administrative team for the proposal. He added that how the money is spent will be up to future commissions. The vote to move forward was unanimous.
Forest Collaborative Says Five Project Areas Impacted By Grasshopper Fire
The Wasco County Forest Collaborative reports that an early assessment of the Grasshopper Fire shows it impacted at least five of the Collaborative’s project areas, resulting in the loss of old growth forests and commercial timber that had cleared environmental review, but was not harvested prior to the fire. Collaborative facilitator Andrew Spaeth gave a presentation to Wasco County Commissioners this week. He said the five projects included 21,996 acres approved for thinning and prescribed burning treatments, but they didn’t get completed for various reasons including litigation and Forest Service capacity and organizational challenges including budget cuts and management by executive order that has hampered forest management for many years. Five collaborative projects burned: Grasshopper, Rocky, 27 Road Fuel Break, South Pen, and Hootnanny. Portions of the Rocky, South Pen, and Grasshopper Projects received some type of non-commercial treatment prior to the Grasshopper Fire. There was an active thinning operation in the Rocky Restoration Project at the time the Grasshopper Fire started.
Klickitat PUD To Stop Signing Non-Disclosure Agreements
The Klickitat Public Utility District is making a major shift in how it handles large power requests. Klickitat PUD Commissioners have ordered staff to stop signing new non-disclosure agreements with data centers, AI facilities, and other large projects requiring over 10 megawatts of energy. Utility officials emphasize that existing NDAs were narrow in scope, served no financial gain, and fully complied with state public disclosure laws. However, board members say halting future secrecy clauses is essential to maintaining transparency and community trust as massive power demands grow. Current agreements will remain active until they expire, but none will be renewed.
City Of The Dalles Cracking Down On Signs In Public Right-of-Way
Starting Monday, the City of The Dalles is cracking down on illegal political campaign signs. City officials say non-permitted signs posted along public rights-of-way and city property create safety hazards for drivers and pedestrians. Under city code, crews will begin removing and confiscating these signs immediately—without prior notice. If your sign is impounded, unmarked signs will be held for 15 days before being destroyed. If the sign includes contact information, the city will notify the owner or campaign and hold it for 30 days, giving candidates time to reclaim it or request a hearing. Full details on the sign ordinance are available on the city’s website.
Bridge Work Finishes Ahead Of Schedule
The mechanical and electrical maintenance work on the Hood River–White Salmon Interstate Bridge has been completed ahead of schedule. That means the daytime traffic impacts planned for Wednesday, along with an overnight closure scheduled for early Thursday morning, are no longer needed. The next phase begins next week, with steel and coating maintenance repairs on the bridge. Full overnight closures are scheduled Monday through Friday, from midnight to 5:30 a.m. September 29th through October 12th. The bridge will be completely closed to vehicle traffic during those hours, so travelers should plan ahead and use an alternate route. Additional work requiring single-lane closures is expected after the overnight closures. Dates and times are still being finalized and will be announced when they’re available.
Empty Bowls Fundraiser Set For Friday
Columbia Gorge Food Bank will hold its annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on Friday at its warehouse facility in The Dalles. The event includes a soup dinner, live music, a silent auction, and presentations on the work being done at the facility that supplies food to pantries in Wasco, Hood River, and Sherman counties. The Food Bank’s Leah Hall says demand for food assistance remains high, and the cost of living in the Gorge exacerbates the problem. Tickets for Friday’s fundraiser are $60, and available at EB2026.auctria.events, or at Klindt’s Booksellers.
September 22 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Tuesday Schedule
Boys Soccer
Grant 5, Hood River Valley 0
Girls Soccer
Hood River Valley 1, McMinnville 1
King’s Way Christian 5, Columbia 2
Fort Vancouver 2, Stevenson 0
Trout Lake 5, Riverdale 2
Volleyball
Hood River Valley def. Parkrose 25-14, 25-11, 25-11
King’s Way Christian def. Columbia 21-25, 16-25, 25-13, 25-13, 15-7
Stevenson def. Fort Vancouver 3-0
Dufur def. Horizon Christian 25-5, 25-8, 25-7
Trout Lake-Glenwood def. Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 3-2
South Wasco def. Condon 3-2
Sherman def. Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 25-22, 12-25, 25-20, 25-20
Cross Country
Columbia and Stevenson finished one-two in both the boys and girls races at a four-school Trico League Race at David Douglas Park in Vancouver. Columbia’s Jack Brooks won the boys’ race, and Lilah Zimmerman of CHS was first in the girls’ run.
Boys Water Polo
Hood River Valley 15, Ridgeview 1: Quinn Henderson led the Eagles with three goals.
Klickitat County Gets Update On STR Ordinance Progress
Klickitat County Commissioners got an update from Community Development Director Scott Edelman on development of an ordinance to require permits for short-term rentals. Some of the discussion centered on what kind of fee to charge. Edelman’s report included a wide range of options, and he noted that most counties charge $150 to $200, with some as high as $400. He recommended $200 to the board. Edelman added he expects the majority of staff time will be in the first three months a permitting system would go into effect. Commissioners plan to revisit the proposed STR ordinance at its October 27 meeting.
HR County Commission Approves Carbon Reserve Fund
Hood River County Commissioners approved establishing a Carbon Reserve Fund for the collection and administration of the sale of carbon credits from the County Forest. The move comes as the County anticipates receiving the first revenues from the sale of carbon offset credits after years of work and planning. The County agreed to set aside forestlands that would not be cut for a given period of time, which fit with the County’s already established conservative harvest practices. County Administrator Allison Williams says some of the revenue will go towards adding a position to the short-staffed County Forestry Department to administer the program. Carbon Contract Sales Revenue is anticipated in the amount of $904,000 in the current fiscal year. $67,800 is to be held in reserves. Up to $150,000 will be appropriated for the necessary and authorized forester position. The remaining $686,200 transfers to the Forest Land Division of the Forestry Special Revenue Fund, which can only be used to acquire more forestlands.
QLife Launches New Residential Broadband
A new community-owned internet provider is launching in The Dalles. Gorgeous Broadband is offering residential fiber internet over the QLife Network, a public fiber system owned and maintained by the city of The Dalles, Wasco County and Northern Wasco County PUD. QLife is expanding its network to reach an additional 2,750 households in The Dalles. Officials say the fiber service can deliver speeds up to ten times faster than what many residents currently experience, with equal upload and download speeds. Service packages will start at less than $70 a month, with several speed options available. Northern Wasco County PUD will manage Gorgeous Broadband, with service expected to begin rolling out by the end of the year. QLife Executive Director Liz Lance says the expansion is a step toward a more connected community for residents working, learning and communicating online.