Boys Basketball
Hood River Valley 59, Estacada 39: The Eagles ran their record to 3-0 with the win.
Damascus Christian 54, Lyle-Wishram 46
Sherman 42, North Clackamas Christian 41
Girls Basketball
Hood River Valley 51, Estacada 31: The Eagles used a 21-point run to remain unbeaten on the season. Marina Castaneda scored 22 points to lead HRV.
LaGrande 54, The Dalles 25
North Clackamas Christian 51, Sherman 30
The Illinois-based company that operates an aluminum processing facility in The Dalles was ordered to pay a fine and restitution Monday for violating the Clean Air Act by releasing a hazardous air pollutant from its facility. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland says Hydro Extrusion USA was ordered to pay a fine of $550,000 and more than $213,000 in restitution to an employee sickened by the hazardous release. According to court documents, while operating its secondary aluminum processing facility, air emissions from the company’s furnaces were open to the interior of the building and did not pass through any pollution control devices before reaching employees or being vented to ambient air. Under the Clean Air Act, secondary aluminum production facilities are only permitted to use “clean charge,” aluminum scrap free of paints, coatings or lubricants. The U.S. Attorney’s office says from July 2018 through June 2019, Hydro acquired and melted scrap aluminum coated in a mineral-oil based mixture that, when combusted, produced hazardous smoke, and employees noticed excessive smoke in the facility. The U.S. Attorney’s office says after cooperating with the government’s investigation and agreeing to plead guilty, Hydro was charged in August with one count of negligent endangerment by discharging a hazardous pollutant, and pleaded guilty in January.
Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue and other emergency service agencies will be conducting a hazardous materials drill in The Dalles on Wednesday morning. The drill will take place at Pacific Coast Producers on 101 Madison in The Dalles. It will start at 8 a.m. Wednesday and run until noon that day. Officials are emphasizing people should not be concerned when they see emergency services activity going on at that location Wednesday morning, and don’t call 9-1-1, as there will be no actual emergency but simply a drill for local responders.
The Port of The Dalles Commission has approved a revised strategic plan for the next few years. Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says facilitating high quality job growth remains the major goal. Continuing to build community partnerships is also key part of the plan. In addition, the Port is planning to develop a list of criteria for evaluating property purchase opportunities. Klaas notes they will hold a workshop in the spring that will involve the Port’s budget committee to dive further into the document.
FISH Food Bank in Hood River County is reporting demand for food assistance is up by 50 percent from last year. Marianne Durkan of FISH says there are a number of factors leading to the increase. Durkan says they have been signing up ten to twelve families every time the food bank is open. The holiday season usually provides the bulk of donations to FISH. For more information on how to donate, Google FISH Food Bank to reach their website.
New Hood River County Administrator Allison Williams is getting settled into the position. Williams started last Monday. She says her first order of business is to get to know the organization, meeting with members of various departments. Williams’ first County Commission meeting will be December 18. She succeeds Jeff Hecksel, who has retired. Williams spent a number of years working for the City of Wenatchee…and most recently was City Manager in Moses Lake.
Swimming
Hood River Valley dominated Parkrose, winning the boys half of the meet 88-6 and the girls’ portion 82-21. The Eagles won every race in the meet.
Boys Basketball
Grant Union 79, Trout Lake 50
Girls Basketball
Riverside 44, Trout Lake 22
Officials at the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facility are reporting an adult in custody was found deceased early Thursday morning. NORCOR officials did not have additional details at this time. In a statement, NORCOR indicated The Dalles Police Department, sheriff’s offices in Wasco and Sherman counties, the Oregon State Police, and the Wasco County Medical Examiner are all involved with investigating the cause of death, which is underway.
North Wasco County School District 21 held a worksession to discuss the next steps after last month’s defeat of a $140 million bond measure that would have primarily been used to build a new high school in The Dalles. The two-hour discussion was part debrief of the past election and measure, and part brainstorming on what could pass muster for district voters. One key element is whether an effective campaign for a measure on the May ballot could be put together. D-21 board member Judy Richardson summarized some of what has to be examined, including putting available property the district holds on the market, whether to go back on the ballot in May to build on momentum from the November vote, should new polling be done, and trying to reduce the cost of the bond. The D-21 board next meets in regular session next Thursday (December 14) at 6 p.m. at The Dalles Middle School.
The annual holiday fire truck parades in Hood River County will take place next week, with area fire departments lighting up their apparatus for the yearly tradition. It kicks off Monday night in the Odell/Pine Grove area, with a static display at the Odell Fire Station from 6 to 6:15 before the trucks weave their way down a myriad of roads before winding up for the night with a static display at the China Gorge Restaurant and Carpool lot. Tuesday the trucks will be in the Parkdale/Dee area, staring with a static display from 6 to 6:15 at the Parkdale station before parading through both communities and stopping with a static display at the Dee Fire Station. The parade will be in Hood River and the Westside area Wednesday, staging at Westside Fire Station 1 at 6 p.m., moving towards a static display at Westside Elementary at 6:45 and then moving through Hood River before finishing at the Front and State parking lots for a static display. And then on Thursday the trucks go to Cascade Locks, staging at the fire department at 6 p.m. and then parading through the town.
