The Hood River County Christmas Project will begin taking registrations on Sunday from those wishing to receive a food box and toys for their children. To qualify, recipients must live in Hood River County, and the family must meet eligibility requirements for Oregon. Applications are available online at hoodrivercountychristmasproject.com, and will be accepted through November 21. Those needing assistance can call 541-329-0901.
The Dalles To Consider Changes To Housing Rules
The City of The Dalles is proposing changes to its housing rules aimed at creating more housing options and speeding up approvals for some projects. The proposal would allow duplex alternatives like triplexes, fourplexes, cottage clusters and townhouses in low-density residential zones. The city also wants to simplify the approval process for eligible projects with one to four homes, generally moving review into the building permit process. Projects with five or more homes would still require a separate site plan review. The changes build on The Dalles’ Housing Production Strategy, adopted last year, and are intended to support homes at a wider range of sizes and prices. The City Planning Commission is scheduled to consider it December 3, with City Council review planned for January 25. Residents can review details and share feedback at thedalles.gov/HousingUpdates.
Halloween Activities Planned In The Area
Halloween activities are scheduled throughout the area on Saturday. The Dalles Main Street is hosting Trick or Treating in downtown The Dalles from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and In Hood River Down Manor will host Trick or Treating at the same time. The Hood River Kids Safe Halloween will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. downtown on Oak Street. Hood River Library will hold its Halloween Party with crafts, treats, and a Glow in the Dark Room from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Downtown White Salmon will be busy tomorrow evening, with Jewett Boulevard closed to traffic from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for trick-or-treating. A costume parade will line up at City Hall at 5:50 p.m. and begin at 6 p.m. The Castle of Curiosities will be open at the White Salmon Masonic Hall from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will also be Trunk or Treat at the 124 NE Church Street parking lot, and the Festival of Light with family friendly harvest games and treats will be in the Bubba’s Brew lot. Gardner Funeral Home will be taking donations of warm clothes and blankets for senior citizens. Hood River Nazarene will hold its Holy-Ween Carnival from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. with carnival games & treats, and the Stevenson Community Library’s Tween and Teen Haunted House will be open from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for ages 9 to 19.
October 29 Prep Sports Roundup
Boys Soccer
Hood River Valley 2, Sandy 2: The tie kept the Eagles in third place in the Northwest Oregon Conference, and they will start the Class 5A playoffs on Tuesday.
Girls Soccer
Sandy 2, Hood River Valley 0: A pair of early goals were enough to lift the Pioneers to the Northwest Oregon Conference title. HRV finishes in a tie for second, and is expected to host a Class 5A first round playoff game on Wednesday.
The Dalles 11, Madras 0: The Riverhawks finish an unbeaten run through the Tri-Valley Conference, and will host a first round game in the Class 4A playoffs on Wednesday.
SW Washington Class 1A District Girls Soccer Tournament
First Round
Seton Catholic 4, Columbia 0: CHS will play a loser out game at King’s Way Christian on Tuesday.
SW Washington Class 1A District Volleyball Tournament
Play-In Round
Columbia def. Rochester 25-13, 25-21, 25-15: The Bruins advance to take on LaCenter in a first round match on Wednesday at King’s Way Christian.
Cross Country
Led by a pair of top four finishers, Columbia finished second to LaCenter in the girls’ race at the Southwest Washington Class 2A/1A District Championships on Lewis River Golf Course in Woodland. Lilah Zimmerman was second and Kathryn O’Connor fourth for CHS. Stevenson’s Daisy Jones was fifth to pace the Bulldogs to a fourth place team finish. Columbia finished third as a team in the boys’ race with Stevenson 11th. Colby Clark was the top Bruin finisher in 13th place. Seton Catholic won the boys’ team title.
Girls Water Polo
Lake Oswego 10, Hood River Valley 5
October 28 Prep Sports Roundup
Cross Country
Four finishers in the top eight lifted Hood River Valley to the Northwest Oregon Conference boys’ cross country championship at Blue Lake Park in Fairview. Gus VandenHeuvel won the individual title while teammate Joshua Carley took second. Copeland Louis was fourth and Ethan Clough was eighth. In the girls’ race, HRV’s Savina Davis outpaced the field by over a minute to win the individual title, as the Eagles finished second to Sandy. Isabel Ulland was 11th. Both HRV teams advance to the Oregon Class 5A Championships on November 7 at Lane Community College in Eugene.
The Dalles grabbed five of the top nine spots to win the girls’ championship at the Tri-Valley Conference Championships at Milo McIver State Park in Estacada. Flamingo Duyck led the way by winning the individual title. Josie Brace took third, Marley Perry fourth, Alessandra Meza sixth, and Gabriela Dominguez Bahena was ninth. The Riverhawk girls advance to the 4A Championships on November 7 in Eugene. The Dalles’ boys took second to Molalla. The Riverhawks’ Luke Sorenson finished third and Lazarus Taylor sixth to guarantee they will advance to state. The Riverhawks are expected to qualify as a team as a wild card once all Class 4A district meets are completed this week.
Overnight Bridge Closures To Start Monday
Drivers using the Hood River–White Salmon Interstate Bridge should prepare for overnight closures and daytime delays starting Monday. The Port of Hood River says steel and coating maintenance will require the bridge to close to all vehicle traffic overnight, Monday through Friday, from midnight to 5:30 a.m. through November 13. In addition, daytime work will also bring single-lane closures next week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Traffic will take turns crossing the bridge in one lane. Additional daytime traffic impacts are expected to continue through December 11. The Port says all work is weather-dependent, and schedules may change. Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and allow extra time to cross the Columbia River.
WAGAP Tree of Joy Program Underway
The Washington Gorge Action Programs’ Tree of Joy program is underway for 2026, recruiting sponsors to purchase gifts for children in need. WAGAP’s Juan Reyes says this year they are collaborating with the Goldendale Giving Tree and the Skamania County Christmas Basket programs to help all three be efficient with donations and help as many families as possible. Reyes says the three programs will direct donors to the correct organization for their area. Information on how to help with the Tree of Joy is available at WAGAP’s Facebook page, with the deadline to sign on as a sponsor for a family on November 16. Cash donations will also be accepted.
White Salmon Preps For Halloween Events
Downtown White Salmon’s annual Halloween festivities will take place on Saturday evening. Jewett Boulevard will be closed to traffic from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to allow the youngsters to enjoy trick-or-treating, and Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tammara Tippel says the Elks Lodge on NE Church Street will host a Trunk or Treat event and the Festival of Light will be in the Bubba’s Brew lot. The Castle of Curiosities at the Masonic Lodge will be open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., while the Costume Parade will lineup at White Salmon City Hall at 5:50 p.m. to head east at 6 p.m. Gardner Funeral Home will be collecting warm clothes and blankets for senior citizens during the event.
Skamania County VSO’s Receive State Honors
The Skamania County Veteran Services Office has earned statewide recognition for significant success in supporting local veterans. At a recent statewide event, Skamania County Veteran Services Officers Shannon See and Mitchell Crawley were recognized for helping veterans in their county receive nearly $2.4 million in benefits during Fiscal Year 2025-26. In addition their work helped increase the number of veterans in Skamania County receiving benefits by 7%. During 2025-26, See and Crawley submitted claims to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that identified more than 320 individual issues, with approval granted for 187 of them. Veterans in Skamania County seeking assistance can call 509-427-3977 for an appointment with the Veteran Services Office, which is located at 710 SE Rock Creek Drive in Stevenson, and open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
TD Council Approves Clarifications To Recreational Property Ordinance
The Dalles City Council approved changes to its recreational property ordinance to clarify requirements while preserving the City’s authority to manage recreational property, protect public safety, and maintain public access. City Attorney Jonathan Kara says the amendments distinguish ordinary public use from activities requiring exclusive reservations or advance City coordination. Mayor Rich Mays says the ordinance was originally passed sixteen months ago to allow recreational uses on appropriate properties like Lewis & Clark Festival Park and the soon to be completed Federal Street Plaza, but the changes are to make it more practical. City Manager Matthew Klebes says the ordinance may continue to evolve as the public recreational spaces are used, and they learn more about those uses.