Klickitat County Commissioners have done an addendum with Republic Services to allow the company to take up to 150,000 tons of trash to the Cowlitz County Landfill if necessary. It’s a move being made in an attempt to retain a contract for the Roosevelt landfill to continue to receive Skagit County’s waste. Klickitat County Commissioner Dan Christopher says Republic currently doesn’t have an emergency truck source to haul trash to Roosevelt when rail service is disrupted. He added they are looking to increase the landfill’s revenue streams. Christopher says they are trying to reduce the turnaround time for the trains coming into the Roosevelt landfill to the point where they can double the volume being taken in. In addition, there will be some consumer price index adjustments to the transfer stations.
Author: mbailey
City Of Hood River Seeks Help To Pull Puncturevines
The City of Hood River is partnering with the Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District to host a series of puncturevine pulls in July. Puncturevine, or Tribulus terrestris, is also known as goathead, City Manager Abigail Elder says it is an invasive and noxious plant that is not only toxic, but also a nuisance. Efforts to pull puncturevines are planned for July. You can sign up to volunteer at the Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District’s website: hoodriverswcd.org.
HR Schools, Teachers Reach Deal On Three-Year Contract
The Hood River County School District Board ratified a three-year contract with the Hood River Education Association to run through the 2025-26 school year. The board passed it unanimously after the teachers had ratified the deal one week ago. Representatives from both sides called it a good contract, and also spoke of the collaborate process that took place to reach the deal. Board member Chrissy Reitz noted the contract recognizes the need to increase pay for new teachers, and take action to do it. Mikka Irusta of the Hood River Education Association added that the contract achieves the goal of improving both retention of current teachers and recruitment of new staff.
CGCC Sees Upward Trend In Numbers
Columbia Gorge Community College issued over 150 degrees or certificates of some kind during the school’s recent graduation ceremonies, as CGCC sees its numbers trend back toward pre-pandemic levels. CGCC Vice-President of Student Services Mike Espinoza said they saw between a nine to 11 percent increase in students pursuing post-high school degrees during the past academic year, and the goal is to continue that into the future. Espinoza said they also saw an increase in its high school concurrent enrollment programs, whether on the CGCC campus or at the high schools involvement.
Lawson Tabbed As Next CGCC President
Columbia Gorge Community College board directors have named Dr. Kenneth Lawson to become the institution’s next president. He is expected to assume the office on August 1. The board made the decision during its meeting on Wednesday. Lawson is currently the vice president of instruction at Skagit Valley College in Mt. Vernon, and has been in that role since 2013. His community college experience began as an adjunct faculty in basic education. Lawson’s career has included serving as a full-time faculty and dean of the Social Sciences/Equity and Social Justice division at Shoreline Community College, and dean for the Humanities and Social Sciences at Seattle Central College, before taking on his current position at Skagit Valley. Lawson has a doctorate in political science from the University of Washington, and a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Science in political science from the University of Utah.
Trooper Injured In Highway 142 Accident
A Washington State Patrol trooper was seriously injured in a patrol vehicle collision early Monday morning on Highway 142 near Olson Road west of Goldendale in Klickitat County. According to WSP spokesman Will Finn, Trooper Anthony Maton was responding to a blocking one-car collision on Highway 142 when he left the road, struck a tree, and became entrapped. No other vehicles were involved in the collision. Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office deputies were first on scene and immediately rendered aid. Once freed from the vehicle, Maton was airlifted to Yakima Memorial Hospital, and was later transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Maton, a two-year trooper, sustained multiple broken bones and a serious head injury during the collision. Finn says he has a long road to recovery but is in stable condition. The collision is being investigated by the WSP Major Accident Investigation Team.
Oregon K-12 Budget Number Trends Up, Should Help HR Schools
With the Oregon Senate back in session and voting on budget bills, it appears the state’s K-12 education funding for the 2023-25 biennium will be $10.2 billion, up from around the originally discussed $9.9 billion. Hood River County School District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn says that is a good number for his district, but also still not enough to simply continue with current service levels. The Hood River district is helped by the recent renewal by voters of its local option levy for the next five years. In addition, the district does not yet know the ending fund balance from this fiscal year that it will carry over into next year.
WS School Budget Headed For July Passage
Interim White Salmon Valley School District Superintendent Jerry Lewis says they will be passing a budget for the 2023-24 school year in July. Lewis has been working with the Southwest Washington Educational Service District to put the budget together, after the White Salmon district faced a two-point-five million dollar shortfall. Lewis says most of the heavy lifting on the budget is done, but there are still some things to do. Lewis adds they will know in about a week of where that ending fund balance stands and what the budget for next year will look like.
Pavement Projects Set For The Dalles
Next week The Dalles and Wasco County public works crews will begin work on several pavement preservation projects. These chip seal projects will require short duration road closures between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at each location on the date the work is scheduled to take place. Detours will be in place during work hours. Proceed with caution in the work areas during construction times and observe all temporary traffic control devices. A full list of the projects planned for next week and a 2023 The Dalles Pavement Preservation Program map can be viewed at thedalles.org. If you have questions, contact The Dalles Public Works Department at 541-296-5401. This road work is expected to extend the service life of the pavement structures.
TD Beautification Committee Offers Tree Grants
The City of The Dalles Beautfication Committee is offering a residential tree grant program. The purpose of the program is to provide grants to The Dalles residents to beautify and improve their property with trees. The funds are available to those within the city limits of The Dalles. Application forms are available at thedalles.org. Applicants must select their preferred tree species from an approved list as part of the application process. The trees will be about an inch to an inch-and-a-half in diameter, and stand five to six feet tall. All trees offered in the program have been selected because they are hardy in this region, they are resistant to pests, and the roots are less likely than other species to cause problems for sidewalks and other infrastructure.