A man wanted as a person of interest as a result of multiple fires in Fossil was taken into custody late Thursday after firefighters saw suspicious lights in the hills north of Fossil. Drones identified multiple power poles on fire Thursday. The Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office says its deputies along with multiple law enforcement officers from the Oregon State Police, Union, Yamhill and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Offices, and the FBI conducted a join tactical operation that led to an OSP officer to convince 28-year-old Ethan Burlingame in a phone conversation to surrender peacefully. Burlingame was taken into custody and later lodged at NORCOR in The Dalles. Fire crews from the Fossil Volunteer Fire Department, Wheeler Fire and Rescue, and Oregon Department of Forestry responded to take care of the power pole fires. The investigation is on-going.
Fishery Managers Extend Spring Chinook Fishing
Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington added eleven more recreational spring Chinook fishing days on the mainstem Columbia during a joint state hearing this week, continuing the season to June 15. Upstream of Bonneville Dam, the area from the Tower Island power lines about six miles downstream of The Dalles Dam to the Oregon/Washington border, plus only the banks from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Tower Island power lines, will be open to spring Chinook fishing through June 15. Downstream of Bonneville Dam to the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line will also be open. Anglers are reminded that from March 1 through June 15 on days when the mainstem Columbia River recreational fishery below Bonneville Dam is open to retention of Chinook, the daily salmonid bag limit in Oregon and Washington Select Areas will be the same as mainstem Columbia River bag limits.
Hustlers Sweep Opening Doubleheader
The Columbia Gorge Hustlers opened their American Legion Baseball season with a sweep of the Columbia Gorge River Bandits on Thursday night at Quinton Street Park. In game one, Elliot Dillingham drove in four runs on a pair of doubles. In the nightcap, Dillingham had two more doubles while Gunner Bustos and Kale Beardmore each had two runs batted in. The two teams meet again on Tuesday at Quinton Street Park for a 5:30 twinbill.
Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge Lift Planned Tuesday
The Hood River-White Salmon Bridge will be fully closed to all traffic on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to approximately noon for a bridge lift to accommodate passage of the vessel Zorro. The bridge may reopen sooner if conditions allow. The closure is required under U.S. Coast Guard regulations, which mandate the bridge open with at least 12 hours’ notice from river traffic. For real-time traffic conditions, view the live bridge camera at portofhoodriver.com.
The Link To Make Service Adjustments After Measure 120 Failure
The Link Public Transit says it will make a couple of service reductions in the wake of the failure of Measure 120. In a statement, the agency said that beginning July 4, its South Wasco County Shuttle Service will be reduced from two days a week to Tuesdays only, and office hours will transition from seven-day operations to Monday through Friday only. The statement indicated The Link, like many transit agencies across Oregon, is facing financial challenges related to stagnant or reduced available funding, and with the defeat of Measure 120, operational adjustments are necessary to maintain long-term service sustainability within projected budget levels. Those with questions and concerns about the change can call The Link at 541-296-7595.
White Salmon Council Passes EV Infrastructure Ordinance
The White Salmon City Council on Wednesday passed an ordinance to require electric vehicle ready infrastructure in new residential construction that includes a garage, carport, or off-street parking space. The ordinance, which came out of White Salmon’s CityLAB committee, requires new residential construction to include sufficient circuit capacity to support “Level 2” EV charging. The ordinance does contain exemptions, including if Klickitat PUD certifies that sufficient power can’t be reasonably provided. Manufactured homes, affordable housing as defined by City codes, and dwellings of 800 square feet or less are also exempt. White Salmon previously adopted an Emissions Reduction Plan which identified EV-ready infrastructure in new residential construction as a priority. General demand for electricity and loads carried on Klickitat PUD infrastructure have been steadily increasing over time, but a meeting between City and PUD officials found the risk of creating a sudden or major need for infrastructure upgrades that would increase costs to ratepayers is low.
Wasco County Added To Mid-December Disaster Declaration
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management announced that Clatsop and Wasco counties have been officially added to the federal major disaster declaration for mid-December flooding and severe storms. The two counties were not included in the initial declaration issued in April, but additional documentation and continued coordination by county emergency managers and OEM staff resulted in their successful inclusion. The expanded declaration now authorizes federal Public Assistance funding for eleven counties impacted by the December atmospheric river event, which already included Hood River County. That supports eligible costs related to damaged roads and bridges, debris removal, utility impacts, and other public infrastructure losses. Record rainfall and high winds during the December storms caused widespread flooding, landslides, and mudslides across multiple regions of the state. At the peak of the event, more than 300,000 Oregonians experienced power outages and several major transportation routes were temporarily closed. A joint preliminary damage assessment documented more than $15.4 million in eligible public infrastructure losses statewide.
Food Security Assessment Finished
A regional Food Security Assessment developed by Oregon State University Extension and other agencies has been wrapped up, and data from it is becoming available. OSU Extension’s Lauren Kraemer says it’s an update of an assessment originally done in 2015. Kraemer says it shows for a number of different factors, demand at food pantries has doubled from what it was back then. Kraemer says with federal and state funding cutbacks to food programs, those numbers could trend further upward. She says a full report on the assessment will be issued in the fall.
Hood River Parks & Rec Camps Start June 22
Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District is taking registrations now for its various youth camps and activities this summer, including its popular weekly Summer Kidz Camps that start on June 22. Each week has a different theme. District Recreation Supervisor Jaime Rivera says they will be offering it for nine weeks, filled with fun activities. There are also specific sports and activity camps planned throughout the summer. The complete schedule is available at hoodriverparksandrec.org. Financial assistance is available.
Crews Put Out Fire In Klickitat County Wednesday
Fire crews in Klickitat County put out a Wednesday afternoon fire near the junctions of Highways 97 and 14. It burned approximately 100 acres, and was reported at about noon on Wednesday. Highway 14 was closed for about 40 minutes as a result of the fire. Klickitat County Rural Fire District 7 responded to the fire, which was brought under control within a couple of hours as forward progress was stopped. Crews from Wishram, Goldendale, and the Washington Department of Natural Resources also responded, along with the Washington State Police and Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office.