A 36-year-old Wasco County man is in custody after an adult male was found stabbed in the abdomen in the parking lot at 3600 West 6th in The Dalles. The Dalles Police Department said in a social media statement its officers along with Wasco County Sheriff’s deputies and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue personnel arrived at the location late Wednesday night to find the wounded man, who was able to give a statement before being transported to Adventist Health Columbia Gorge. The Dalles Police Department detectives used a search warrant at a Wasco County residence to recover the knife believed to have been used in the incident and arrested 36-year-old Modesto Tellez Torrez on a first degree assault charges. Torrez is in custody at NORCOR. The Dalles Police Department says other charges are possible as the investigation continues.
Author: mbailey
Applications Available For PitchFest 2024
Mid-Columbia Economic Development District and the Wasco Innovation Initiative are taking applications from entrepreneurs for the 2024 Gorge PitchFest. It’s the second year for the event. MCEDD’s Jason Hartmann says PitchFest brings together innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors, as they try to create a culture and support network for entrepreneurs in the Gorge. Five finalists will be selected to pitch their ideas to a panel of experienced judges on June 6 at the Granada Theatre in The Dalles for a chance to receive funding for their pre-venture or early start-up business. PitchFest applications are open until May 22, go to mcedd.org to get details of how to take part.
The Dalles To Enforce No Signs In Right-Of-Way
The City of The Dalles says as of Wednesday (May 8), it will be enforcing its regulations prohibiting non-permitted signs in the public right-of-way or on City-owned property. The Dalles Community Development Department says in the past few weeks, it has been made aware of several political campaign signs located in public rights-of-way. Beginning Wednesday, the City will remove non-permitted political campaign signs brought to its attention within the public right-of-way or on other City-owned property. For signs without a visible telephone number or address of the sign’s owner on the sign itself, the City will hold such a confiscated sign for at least 15 days before disposing of it unless the sign’s owner reclaims it. For signs with a visible telephone number or address, the City will hold such a confiscated sign for at least 30 days from the time it contacts that person by telephone or by mail.
Newhouse & Bentz Introduce Snake River Dam Protection Bills
Washington Fourth District Congressman Dan Newhouse and Oregon Second District Congressman Cliff Bentz have been joined by a handful of other Northwest Republican representatives to introduce a package of nine bills to protect the four Lower Snake River Dams following the release of the final package of actions and commitments in the Columbia River System Operations mediation they believe would undermine dam operations. In a statement, Newhouse says the package is a reinforcement of their belief authority over the dams remains in the hands of Congress, and is a testament to their commitment to protect what he called “these critical pieces of infrastructure.” The package contains nine bills aimed at reversing specific provisions in the final package of actions and commitments in the systems operations’ mediation. A variety of organizations with stakes in the Columbia River System are supporting the bills.
Ballot Return Begins
Ballots have started to come back in for Oregon’s May 21 primary election after being mailed out late last week. Wasco County reports that just over three percent of ballots have been returned as of Tuesday, slightly over the return rates for primary elections in 2020 and 2022. In Hood River County, the ballot return at the end of Tuesday was 2.74%, up from the just over two percent of 2022, but less than half of what was returned at the same point in 2020.
White Salmon Education Foundation Announced Grant Awards
The White Salmon Valley Education Foundation has awarded more than $32,000 to educators and programs in the White Salmon Valley School District as part of the foundation’s annual Grant Award program. The funding will support STEM, literacy, arts, music, career and technical education, and cultural exploration projects that expand educational opportunities for White Salmon students. Money for the grant awards comes from donors, community partners, and supporters of the foundation’s mission to provide opportunities for growth and learning within White Salmon schools. Since 2006, more than $919,000 in community-raised donations have been awarded to the schools directly from foundation. For more information about the White Salmon Valley Education Foundation and its grant programs, visit wsvef.org.
May 8 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Wilsonville 7, Hood River Valley 1: Bodie Stuben pitched five solid innings for HRV, but the Eagles were limited to two hits.
Big Sky League Playoff: Union 7, Sherman 3
Softball
LaCenter swept Columbia 6-5 and 9-5
Stevenson lost game one 7-3 to King’s Way Christian, but won game two 22-3.
Goldendale swept Granger 4-3 and 15-5
Girls Tennis
Columbia 3, Montesano 2
Southwest Washington Class 1A Boys Soccer Tournament
First Round
Columbia 2, Elma 0: The Bruins will play at Montesano in the semi-finals on Thursday night.
Boys Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 10, Grant 2
Golf
Hood River Valley’s John Olson and Davis Kerr qualified at the Northwest Oregon and Intermountain Conference regional tournament at Aspen Lakes Golf Club for the boys’ state 5A championships next week at Quail Valley Golf Course in Banks, while Kristin Fox reached the 5A girls’ tournament at Trysting Tree in Corvallis.
Katelyn Vasser of The Dalles finished fourth in the Class 4A District 1 girls’ tournament at Quail Valley to advance to state next week at Tokatee Golf Club in McKenzie.
Klickitat County Tables Franchise Agreement For Carriger
Klickitat County Commissioners decided to table for two months a proposed franchise agreement with Carriger Solar for a one-mile span of right of way on Knight Road near Goldendale. The Commission wants more legal review of the proposed agreement. The right of way would be for a collector system for a controversial solar project currently before the Energy Facilities Site Evaluation Council, and Commission Chair Lori Zoller says the length of time that will be required for that process leaves them plenty of time to get further legal guidance. The vote to table was unanimous, with all the Commissioners in favor of seeking more detailed legal opinion from the County Prosecuting Attorney office.
Hood River Housing Project Receives LIFT Funding
Oregon Housing and Community Services announced a Hood River project will receive part of nearly $23 million toward creating 157 new homes across the state. Columbia Gorge Habitat for Humanity will receive $800,000 for its Hope Street Project, with plans for four units in Hood River. The organization’s executive director, Chad Krause, said with the help of the Oregon Local Innovation and Fast Track Homeownership funds, the homes will be built and sold to members of the community who can’t afford market rate homes. He added that teachers and retail workers may be able to purchase their own Habitat homes. This year, OHCS changed how it grants LIFT funding for the development of new affordable homes through a rolling application process.
“Light Capsule” To Illuminate Old Waldron Building
A “light capsule” will illuminate the old Waldron Drug Building in The Dalles near Lewis & Clark Festival Park and allow its faded historic signs to be seen. The capsule is the work of artist Craig Winslow, and employs innovative projection techniques. The Dalles Community Development Department Special Projects Director Ann Moorhead says the light will help bring a part of the community’s history back to life. Moorhead says Winslow has done 40 of these “light capsules.” The capsule will be turned on as part of an “Illuminate The Dalles” event on Friday, May 17 at 7 p.m. at the Neon Sign Museum and Lewis & Clark Festival Park. A lighting ceremony will be at 8:30 p.m.