Three projects in the Columbia Gorge are in line to receive funding through a pair of bills that have passed the Senate Appropriations Committee with bipartisan support. Senator Jeff Merkley’s office says the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, or THUD, bill includes $4 million to help replace the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge to cover early-phase costs of the project, including right-of-way acquisition and mitigation for impacts to tribal fishing access during construction. The THUD bill also contains $3 million for Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation to develop 75-untis of affordable housing in The Dalles on Chenowith Loop to provide housing and services to veterans, families, and households experiencing severe and persistent mental health issues. In addition, the Energy and Water Development bill features $500,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and The Dalles Lock and Dam to fund continued work toward the creation of a Villages Development Plan for multiple sites along the Columbia River. The two bills now go to the Senate floor for a full vote before they can be conferenced with its counterpart bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Author: mbailey
HR County Fair Continues Through Saturday
The Hood River County Fair is underway at the fairgrounds in Odell, and will continue through Saturday. It features appearances today by Wildlife Wendy, Godfrey the Magician, and Not Your Average Joe Balloon Guy. There will also be Mutton Bustin’, Sea Lion Splash, Pony Rides, 4-H and FFA events, and much more. Friday features the annual 4-H/FFA Livestock Auction in the barn area beginning at 5:30. It culminates with a concert by country star Morgan Evans on Saturday night. Complete schedule and ticket information is available at hoodriverfairgrounds.com.
Scam Jam Planned For August 4
Registration is now open for Scam Jam next Friday, August 4. It’s a free event put on by the Oregon Department of Justice, AARP Oregon, and the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services. DOJ Director of Outreach Ellen Klem says the event offers practical advice on how to recognize all kinds of scams and schemes. Scam Jam will take place from 9 a.m. to noon next Friday at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. It’s a free event, but seating is limited. Register in advance by calling 877-926-8300, or going to events.aarp.org.
Sherman County Accident Claims Life Of Hermiston Man
The Oregon State Police say a Hermiston man died in a single-vehicle accident this past Friday afternoon on Highway 97 in Sherman County. According to the OSP, the accident happened at about 4:16 p.m. near milepost 26. The preliminary investigation indicated a car operated by 29-year-old Nicholas Demos of Hermiston was traveling southbound on Highway 97 when it left the roadway and rolled over. Demos was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced deceased at the scene. The highway was impacted for approximately 1 hour during the on-scene investigation. The OSP says speed and lane usage are suspected as the main contributing factors to the crash.
WAGAP Sees Food Bank Demand Increase
Like other food pantries in the Northwest, Washington Gorge Action Programs’ food bank has seen an increase in demand in recent months. WAGAP serves Klickitat and Skamania counties with mobile and in-building food banks. WAGAP’s Jennifer Pauletto says there are a variety of factors involved, including decrease in SNAP payments with pandemic-related increases expiring, and the rising cost of food. The cost of WAGAP acquiring food has also increased. WAGAP Food For All will hold a fundraising concert, wine tasting, and picnic on August 12 at 5:30 at AniChe Cellars in Underwood. For information go to wagapfoodforall.com.
Sturgeon Fishing To Be Prohibited Between The Dalles & Priest Rapids
All sturgeon fishing including catch-and-release will be prohibited in the mainstem Columbia River from The Dalles Dam to the Priest Rapids Dam starting Saturday through September 15. Oregon and Washington fishery managers say the decision was made due to increased mortality among adult sturgeon attributed to warm water temperatures. Approximately 24 adult sturgeon mortalities have been reported recently with most occurring in the John Day Pool. High water temperatures and lower dissolved oxygen have been shown to stress and kill sturgeon. While only catch-and-release fishing is allowed this time of year, closing all fishing will help reduce stress from capture and handling and give sturgeon some relief until water temperatures cool off in September. While the lower and mid-Columbia River white sturgeon populations are not considered to be in danger, the population is not at desired abundance, especially in some of the reservoirs where recruitment of young fish is sporadic. ODFW will continue to coordinate with other fish managers to monitor sturgeon mortality in the Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day reservoirs.
Forest Service Expects Fire Restrictions To Increase
The Forest Service says fire restrictions are likely to increase in the coming weeks. Low spring rainfall has resulted in abnormally dry conditions as hot temperatures persist across the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region. The Northwest Coordinator Center Predictive Services Outlook shows the Northwest has experienced drier-than-normal conditions over the past several months. This dryness, combined with record and near-record heat, has resulted in excessively dry vegetation in many areas. To mitigate risks, the Forest Service is encouraging the public to help prevent human-caused wildfire starts. To report a wildfire, call 911. Keep an eye on smoke forecasts and plan outdoor recreation accordingly, and stay informed of fire restrictions and closures before heading out
Newell Road Fire 20% Contained
Containment of the Newell Road Fire is now listed at 20 percent, as crews continue to make progress on the 56,143 acre blaze in eastern Klickitat County. Dave Robertson of Northwest Washington Interagency Management Team 8 says strong winds Monday afternoon and evening led to activity in the northwest corner of the fire, but crews during the night were able to make good progress. Robertson says there was very little fire activity in other locations on Monday, with crews mopping up a couple of flare-ups in the southwest corner. He added today’s weather forecast is favorable for continued progress. Klickitat County Emergency Management this morning dropped the evacuation advisory for Roosevelt from Level 2 to Level 1, while all other evacuation levels remain the same. Detailed evacuation area maps are available at the Klickitat County Emergency Management Facebook page. Highway 14 is closed between Highway 97 and Interstate 82 due to the fire. A community town hall meeting on the fire will take place this evening at 6 p.m. at Goldendale Middle School. The meeting can also be accessed online through the Newell Road Fire Facebook page.
WS Council Sends Fire Authority To Voters
The White Salmon City Council voted 4-1 to advance a proposed West Klickitat Regional Fire Authority made up of the City and Fire District 3 to voters in November. The decision came after a trio of White Salmon firefighters testified they felt the process that developed the RFA plan had not truly brought all stakeholders together and should not yet go to the ballot box. But councilors who had been a part of the committee to develop the proposal pushed back on that assertion, noting hours of meetings to put the RFA together and adding they did not intend for it to address every detail, putting that in the hands of the RFA board if it is formed. Current White Salmon fire chief Bill Hunsaker also didn’t believe the City could wait until next August for a vote, noting the White Salmon Fire Department has been operating on “a shoestring for years.” Under the RFA plan, White Salmon residents would be asked to approve a property tax levy of 76 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value. Patty Fink was the only Councilor to vote no, saying she believes the City needs to fund fire operations better, but the process still needed more work.
HRV Parks & Rec Gets State Grant For Missing Indian Creek Trail Link
Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District will receive a $5.98 million state grant to purchase about ten acres of property and complete the missing link on the Indian Creek Trail. The district purchased an option to buy what is commonly known as the Campbell property located on Brookside Drive between Providence Brookside Manor and Broken Tee Drive. District executive director Mark Hickox says the grant will allow them to complete the link from Barrett Drive to downtown Hood River, noting this will actually be constructed by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Hickox says they won’t have a timeline for the project until they have discussions with ODOT at the start of the state’s fiscal year starts in October.