Hood River County Commissioners held an initial discussion with a variety of consultants on how to gauge whether a prepared food and beverage tax would be palatable to voters. Robert Whelan of EcoNorthwest told the panel he estimated a six percent tax could bring in $5.8 million for the County in 2028, with about 60 percent of that paid by visitors. They also discussed beginning a program of stakeholder outreach with an eye toward a survey on the proposal. Commissioner Arthur Babitz pointed on out that when a similar measure failed in 2019, there was not an organized campaign effort for it. Both Jake Weigler of Praxis Political and Ben Patinkin of Patinkin Research Strategies said their first step would be one-on-one stakeholder conversations, moving to focus groups, and eventually polling.
Bridge Funding Answer Expected At The End Of The Year
The Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority expects to learn whether it will receive a $532 million grant from the Federal Bridge Infrastructure program by the end of the year. Bridge Authority board member Jacob Anderson gave an update on the project to the Klickitat County Commission on Tuesday. Anderson said they have made it through the initial cut-off round for the grant, and are now in the final ranking round, and the agency submitted updated information for its benefit/cost analysis. Anderson noted they reached the 60% design milestone during the summer, and should have full construction ready plans by December. The goal is to be able to hit the in-water work window in 2027, to be on track to open a new bridge by the fall of 2031.
Klickitat County Advances Solid Waste Plan Update To Cities
Klickitat County Commissioners have moved the draft update of its Solid Waste and Management Plan on to the cities for approval. The plan covers four areas, including infrastructure, economic sustainability, education, and outside influences. Wendy Mifflin of the consulting firm Herrera told Commissioners many state requirements don’t kick in until a county reaches 25,000 in population, and that has been incorporated in the plan as the County nears that mark. She adds dealing with organics will need to be done with care. After the cities sign off on the plan update, it will come back to the County Commission, and then go to the Washington Department of Agriculture for final approval.
Ag Tech Convention Coming To The Northwest
An agricultural technology convention will be coming to the Pacific Northwest for the first time. FIRA USA, or the International Forum for Agricultural Robotics in the United States, will be at State Fair Park in Yakima from October 20th to the 22nd. Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center Director Brian Pearson says it is a meeting place of ag tech companies, engineers, scientists, students, and researchers, and growers can learn about the latest advances. The event goes beyond robotics into the entire range of AgTech topics, addressing the specific needs of the Pacific Northwest such as irrigation, canopy management, tillage, and more. For more information on the convention, go to FIRA-USA.com.
Goldendale Accident Injures One
One person was injured and taken to a hospital following a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Highway 97 and Broadway in Goldendale on Tuesday morning. According to the Washington State Patrol, a pickup driven by a 79-year-old Goldendale man was traveling eastbound on Broadway and attempted to cross Highway 97. The pickup struck an SUV going south on Highway 97. A passenger in the SUV, a 21-year-old man from Sunnyside, was taken to Klickitat Valley Hospital in Goldendale. The WSP says the two drivers were not injured.
October 5 Prep Sports Roundup
Boys Soccer
The Dalles 6, Estacada 0: The Riverhawk win leaves them in a four-way tie for first in the Tri-Valley Conference.
Trout Lake-Horizon Christian 10, Riverside 0
Girls Soccer
The Dalles 7, Estacada 0: The Riverhawks easily won a matchup of early Tri-Valley Conference unbeatens, picking up their seventh shutout in eight games.
Westside Christian 5, Trout Lake 0
Volleyball
Hood River Valley def. Putnam 3-0: HRV gets back above .500 in the Northwest Oregon Conference at 4-3.
The Dalles def. North Marion 25-10, 25-21, 25-11: The Riverhawks remain unbeaten in TVC play.
Pear Harvest Robot Arm Tested In MCAREC Orchard
Oregon State University Engineering recently came to the Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center’s orchard in Hood River to test out a pear picking robotic arm. MCAREC Director Brian Pearson says one of the hurdles was for the robot to see the fruit in the tree, and another is to successfully pick it gently and smoothly. He says the goal now is to refine that process, and after that it will be to make the process quick and efficient. Pearson says it is definitely not right now, with human pickers much faster at this point. He adds they will also test developing orchards that are more two dimensional in nature, something that is already happening in apple orchards.
Latest Schedule Of Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Closures
Drivers using the Hood River–White Salmon Bridge should plan for several upcoming closures.
The bridge will be fully closed to vehicle traffic Tuesday, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., to allow a tugboat to pass.
Then, overnight closures for steel and coating maintenance will begin Wednesday.
The bridge will be closed Monday through Friday nights, from midnight until 5:30 a.m., through October 23. No weekend closures are planned.
The maintenance work was originally scheduled to begin September twenty-ninth but was postponed.
Drivers should use an alternate route during the overnight closures and allow extra time for travel.
Additional bridge work requiring single-lane closures is expected after October 23. The dates have not yet been finalized.
The Port of Hood River says it appreciates the public’s patience during the work.
October 2-3 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Football
Sandy 36, Hood River Valley 12
Baker 47, The Dalles 20
Kalama 65, Stevenson 12
Dufur 60, Imbler 28
Rainier 44, Sherman 22
Echo 66, Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 16
Griswold 70, South Wasco 25
Volleyball
Imbler def. Dufur 25-27, 25-14, 25-10, 25-21
Sherman def. Umatilla 25-21, 25-15, 25-17
Damascus Christian def. Trout Lake-Glenwood 3-0
Lyle-Wisrham-Klickitat def. C.S. Lewis Academy 25-12, 25-17, 25-18
Cross Country
The Dalles boys were second and the girls third at the Run With Neil Invitational at Scappoose. Lazarus Taylor finished second and Luke Sorenson third for the Riverhawk boys, while Alessandra Meza was seventh for The Dalles girls.
Trout Lake’s Melody Stock was the winner while Felicity Peck was third in the girls’ race at the Apple Ridge Invitational in Yakima. Trout Lake’s Merrek Stock was ninth in the boys’ run.
Orchard Fire 100% Contained
The Orchard Fire near The Dalles is now 100 percent contained, and all assigned firefighting resources have been released. Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue and the Oregon Department of Forestry say crews spent several days conducting suppression operations, building containment lines, mopping up, removing hazards and patrolling the fire perimeter. Updated mapping puts the fire at approximately 155 acres. No firefighting crews are currently assigned to the Orchard Fire. MCFR and ODF will continue monitoring the area and will respond if conditions require additional action. Officials say some smoke from larger interior fuels may still be visible, but the fire perimeter is secure and the Orchard Fire remains 100 percent contained. Officials say the response to the fire highlighted the importance of automatic aid, mutual aid and regional partnerships across the Columbia Gorge.