The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Federal Forest Restoration Program is awarding $3 million in planning assistance funding and separate grants of nearly $264,000 to forest collaboratives, including two in the Mid-Columbia area. The Mt. Hood National Forest will receive $500,000 for work in The Dalles Watershed during the 2025-27 biennium. The project is a landscape-scale restoration effort identified as a high priority for wildfire risk reduction in Oregon’s 20-year Landscape Resilience Strategy and the Mt. Hood area all-lands Strategic Action Plan. The ODF says It is responsive to local partnership priorities identified through the Wasco County all-lands group, Hood River All-Lands Partnership, the City of The Dalles, and the Hood River and Wasco County Forest Collaboratives. Wasco Soil and Water Conservation District is receiving a $62,190 Forest Collaborative grant for the Mt. Hood East Zone Forest Collaborative Project supporting collaborative engagement around the South Wasco Ecosystem Restoration effort.
March 24 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Forge Christian (CO) 9, Hood River Valley 3: An eight-run second inning was the difference in the game. HRV got off to a 2-0 lead after an inning and a half, but the Eagle offense was shut down after the first two innings.
Phoenix 7, The Dalles 3: Three-run innings in the second and seventh innings were the difference to give the Pirates the win. Gunner Bustos drove in a pair of runs for the Riverhawks.
Riverside 12, Sherman 11: Riverside scored two in the bottom of the seventh inning to win a back and forth game. Rhyder Smith had three RBI for the Huskies.
Rainier 12, Sherman 4
Softball
Crater 9, Hood River Valley 0
Grants Pass 17, Hood River Valley 2
The Dalles 19, Lost River 0: Madalynn Sagapolutele had two homers and drove in five runs.
The Dalles 15, Milwaukie 1: Ainslee Eiesland drove in four runs on a pair of hits as the Riverhawks stay unbeaten on the season.
TD City Council Approves Franchise Agreement With Chenowith Water
The Dalles City Council approved a franchise agreement with the Chenowith Water PUD to formalize the district’s continued occupancy and use of the City right-of-way. City officials said the two parties have been working on the agreement for months. The agreement does not require the District to build its water system to City water-system design standards, but addresses work that takes place in the municipal right-of-way. City Manager Matthew Klebes says the agreement will take effect July 1, and will gradually increase the percentage of gross revenues the Chenowith district will pay the City, starting at 1% in the upcoming fiscal year, and going up to 5% over the next five years. The City Council approved the agreement unanimously, and the Chenowith Water PUD board approved it last week.
Symposium To Discuss Tree Fruit Economics
Oregon State University will host a day-long symposium on the economics of the tree fruit industry on April 8 at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. OSU Associate Professor of Horticulture Ashley Thompson says expert speakers and panels at the symposium will cover the wide range of financial challenges that orchardists and all farm operations are facing. The symposium will include talks on national trends, understanding cost structures, crop insurance, agricultural overtime, and land market trends. There will also be grower panel discussions about cost management strategies and market diversification. To sign up for the April 8 symposium, call the OSU Extension in Wasco County at 541-296-5494.
Final Cherry Fest Plans Released
The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce released the final plans for next month’s re-imagined Northwest Cherry Festival. The festival has had to move off of First Street while City renovations take place, moving the carnival to Lewis and Clark Festival Park and moving other activities around downtown, including Fourth Street. Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson says all of the usual parts of the festival have been accounted for, but many will be in different locations. Entries are now being taken for the Cherry Festival parade and the window decorating contest, along with nominations for the Little Royals contest. Details are available at NorthwestCherryFestival.com.
Reports Finds Non-Profits Feeling Strain Of Federal Changes
A year of federal funding and policy changes have strained southwest Washington nonprofits, according to a new report published by the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington. The “Finding Ways Forward” report presents data from the organization’s 2025 nonprofit survey, which polled more than 100 nonprofit leaders across Clark, Cowlitz and Skamania Counties. The responses reveal a sector navigating major financial challenges and growing uncertainty. Acute concerns include staffing reductions, program closures, additional administrative burdens and a rising demand for services. Larger organizations carry the greatest financial exposure, with cause areas like early childhood education, food security, and physical and mental health most reliant on federal funding. Because of this, leaders across the sector — including those insulated from federal changes — anticipate ripple effects that will increase competition for philanthropic resources and weaken essential community services. 60% of respondents feel insecure or worse about the state of the sector. Nonprofit leaders emphasized creativity and collaboration, including efforts to diversify revenue streams, strengthen partnerships and invest in shared infrastructure.
March 23 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
West Point (AZ) 5, Hood River Valley 3: A seventh inning Eagle comeback fell just short, as a four-run fifth inning for the Dragons proved to be the difference. Bodie Stuben and Nick Tuttle each drove in a run for HRV, which lost for the first time this season as they start a four-game stay in Arizona.
The Dalles 4, Sweet Home 3: The Riverhawks scored a pair of runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings, then held on as the Huskies plated two in the top of the seventh, and had a runner in scoring position to end the game. Thatcher Dray had a pair of hits and drove in a run for The Dalles.
Softball
Dallas 20, Hood River Valley 1
Eagle Point 5, Hood River Valley 1: Honey Wampler-Bryan had an RBI in the first game and joined Gracyn Hanshaw with two hits each in the second game.
The Dalles 12, Crook County 1: Maddy Sagapolutele had a homer and four runs batted in while Ainslee Eiesland also hit a home run and had three RBI.
The Dalles 10, Ridgeview 3: Eiesland had two hits and drove home two runs in the nightcap for the Riverhawks.
Stevenson sweeps Goldendale 21-7 and 32-12: Chloe White drove in four runs for Stevenson with game 1, while Lily Wilkerson had four RBI in game two.
Boys Soccer
Columbia 8, Onalaska 0
Toledo-Winlock 15, Stevenson 0
Recycling Service In The Dalles To Expand
The Dalles Disposal, in partnership with Circular Action Alliance Oregon, will launch expanded curbside recycling service for the City of The Dalles next Monday. The Dalles is the first Oregon community to expand curbside recycling access using producer funding available through the state’s Recycling Modernization Act. Nearly 5,000 new 90-gallon recycling carts are being delivered to customers by The Dalles Disposal. The carts are about six times larger than the previous curbside recycling bins, providing more room for the expanded list of recyclables that took effect in August 2025. The service expansion is supported by Oregon’s Extended Producer Responsibility program for paper and packaging, which requires brands and companies that supply packaging and paper products to help fund improvements to the state’s recycling system. CAA, the nonprofit Producer Responsibility Organization selected by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to implement the program, provided more than $200,000 to The Dalles Disposal to purchase the new recycling carts. Residents will receive information directly from The Dalles Disposal about what’s changing and how to recycle correctly.
Sign-Ups For White Salmon-Bingen Yard Sale Map Underway
The Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce is taking registrations from those who want to be a part of the White Salmon-Bingen Community Wide Yard Sales and Business Sidewalk Sales the weekend of April 10. The Rotary Club of White Salmon-Bingen also sponsors the event leading into the community cleanup later in the month. Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tammara Tippel says registering will put your sale on the map to be available in print and online that weekend. To submit your sale for the map, email it to info.mtadamschamber@gmail.com. For more information, call the Chamber at 509-493-3630.
Spring Break Not A Barometer For Summer Travel
Spring break often means travel for many people, but it doesn’t necessarily provide tourism officials a barometer for what to expect in the summer. The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson says unless there are specific events going on, spring break tends not to bring large numbers to The Dalles area. Farquharson says the Oregon Coast tends to get more visitation during the spring break period. She says The Dalles will be helped by a pair of high school baseball and softball tournaments bringing in visitors this week.