White Salmon Mayor Marla Keethler has filed to run for the Washington State Senate in District 17. Keethler formally filed on Monday at the start of Washington’s filing week for the August primary election. Keethler, who is a Democrat, says in a social media video announcing her candidacy she is running to challenge the status quo. Keethler said she wants to ensure all voices are heard as the Legislature takes on the challenges of affordable housing, childcare, public safety, and investing in roads, bridges, schools, and communities. Paul Harris, a Republican who is currently a state representative, also filed to seek the seat. Effective with the 2024 election, District 17 now includes much of Klickitat County, Skamania County, and Camas and Washougal in Clark County.
Author: mbailey
May 6 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
The Dalles 14, Molalla 1: Finley Corbin homered and drove in three runs, and Sam Shaver also had 3 RBI. The Riverhawks remain one game back of Crook County in the Intermountain Conference.
Tri-Cities Prep 19, Goldendale 0: The Timberwolves fall in the first game of the Washington District 5 Class 2B tournament, and will get a second chance on Wednesday against either Warden or Cle Elum.
Softball
The Dalles 14, Molalla 0: Jeilane Stewart homered and drove in four runs for the Riverhawks.
Man Taken Into Custody After Hitting Deputy With Hammer
A 31-year-old Dallesport man is in custody and facing an attempted murder charge after hitting a Klickitat County Sheriff’s Deputy in the head with a hammer during a Sunday morning incident at an RV park in Dallesport.
According to the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office…Deputy Tim Neher was talking to the man’s mother…who had called 9-1-1 to report her son was having a psychotic episode…when Christian Smith came running out from behind the trailer and struck Neher on the head with a hammer.
Neher and two other officers were able to handcuff Smith and take him into custody.
The Sheriff’s Office says Neher received serious head injuries and was taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
Smith was booked into the Klickitat County Jail on an attempted murder charge.
Happy Valley Man Dies In Highway 26 Crash
A 30-year-old Happy Valley man died in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 26 near the Wasco-Jefferson County line on Saturday morning. The Oregon State Police says a preliminary investigation indicated a car operated by Kyle D. Kircher left the roadway at the Mill Creek Bridge and landed approximately 250 feet below the bridge on the canyon floor. Kircher was declared deceased at the scene. The OSP says Kircher was reported as suicidal at 12:19 Saturday morning, and the vehicle was located in the canyon by the Warm Springs Police Department at 1:05. Due to the location of the vehicle, dark lighting conditions, and safety concerns the recovery was delayed until daylight. The OSP says at this time, the evidence indicates the crash was intentional. The OSP was assisted by Warm Springs Police and Fire, Deschutes County Search and Rescue, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Columbia Gateway URA Looks For Input On Tony’s Property
The Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal District in The Dalles is soliciting public input on what should be done with the former Tony’s Town and Country property on 2nd and Federal. City of The Dalles Economic Development Officer Dan Spatz says they will taking input through June 7. The property is adjacent to a one-block section of Federal Street that has been discussed as a potential outdoor pedestrian plaza. All ideas are being accepted. To give input…go to the City’s website at thedalles.org.
PUD Receives Reliability Recognition
Northern Wasco County PUD has received national recognition for achieving exceptional electric reliability in 2023. The recognition comes from the American Public Power Association, a trade group that represents more than 2,000 not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities. APPA helps electric utilities track power outage and restoration data through its subscription-based eReliability Tracker service. Once per year, APPA’s Reliability Team compares this data to national statistics tracked by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for all types of electric utilities. Nationwide, the average public power customer has their lights out for less than half the amount of time that customers of other types of utilities do.
May 3-4 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Wilsonville 9, Hood River Valley 1
King’s Way Christian 14, Columbia 4
Sherman split with Heppner, winning game one 12-0 but losing game two 16-1.
Softball
LaSalle 7, Hood River Valley 0
Columbia 16, King’s Way Christian 6
Seton Catholic 20, Stevenson 10
Track and Field
Goldendale won the boys’ title and Stevenson the girls’ at the Al McKee Invitational in Stevenson. Raymond Holycross won three events for the Goldendale boys.
South Wasco took first in the girls’ standings and Lyle-Wishram topped the boys at the Pirate Invitational in Bickleton. Joey Holloway of South Wasco swept the boys’ throws, while Bailey Udey won the long and triple jumps for the Redside girls.
Sherman’s Sophie Hulke won three events at the Sherman County Invitational in Moro.
Boys Tennis
Wilsonville 6, Hood River Valley 2
Girls Tennis
Hood River Valley 7, Wilsonville 1
Girls Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 16, Cleveland 10
Work On The Dalles Water Master Plan Beginning
The Dalles City Council discussed the water utility financial analysis that is being put together at a worksession this week. Under state lawm, cities must update its water master plan every 20 years, and The Dalles last did it 18 years ago. One part of the plan is the financial analysis. Public Works Director Dave Anderson says it covers anything that has to do with water delivery. Anderson noted municipal water rates in the last few years have not kept pace with the cost of operations and maintenance of the system. He added water rates in The Dalles have not been raised in the past decade.
HR Schools Announce New Principals
The Hood River County School District announced the selection of a new principal, and an interim principal was given the permanent position. Jim Mangan will be the new principal at May Street Elementary School. Mangan has been in public education for more than 30 years, including 14 as an administrator. He has been a principal at Forest Hills Elementary in Lake Oswego and Trillium Creek Elementary in West Linn, and a vice-principal at Mid-Valley Elementary. Joe Kelly was named the principal of the Hood River Options Academy, after serving in that role on a temporary basis during this school year. Kelly previously had been a science teacher at Hood River Valley since 2002.
D21 Opens Enrollment For Jump Start Kindergarten
North Wasco County School District 21 has started open enrollment for its Jump Start Kindergarten program this summer, designed to provide incoming kindergartners with a strong foundation before they start elementary school in the fall. The Jump Start Kindergarten program is tailored to equip young learners with essential school routines, social-emotional skills, and foundational academic knowledge. The program will run from July 30 to August 14 at Colonel Wright Elementary School. It will operate from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. each weekday. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, and transportation options are available. Families interested in enrolling their child in the Jump Start Kindergarten program can do so online at nwasco.k12.or.us.