The containment figure on the Camp Creek Fire in the Mt. Hood National Forest has moved upward to 35%, as the majority of felling work being done to construct fuel breaks on primary and contingency lines around the fire area has been completed. Operations Section Chief Matt Call says officials feel the western flank of the fire near the Bull Run Watershed has been locked up. Heavy equipment will continue constructing contingency line in advance of the eastern flank of the fire. On the northeast flank, crews will continue mopping up the dozer and hand lines. That work is expected to take several more days. The current Great Basin Team 1 management will transition control of the fire over to Pacific Northwest Team 3 tonight.
Author: mbailey
Meeting On Brownfields Properties Set For Tuesday
A meeting on the re-use of what is known as “Brownfields” properties, and the financial assistance available to property owners for redevelopment, is set for Tuesday at The Dalles City Hall. A brownfield is a property whose use or redevelopment may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. City of The Dalles Economic Development Officer Dan Spatz says there are funds available to deal with these kind of properties. Tuesday’s meeting will run 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in The Dalles City Council Chambers, with part of the session including a walking tour of properties in downtown The Dalles that have benefited from brownfield programs.
HR County Forest Carbon Project Hearing Planned For October
Hood River County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on October 16 on the proposed carbon project on the County forest with The Climate Trust. Commissioners are considering a deal that would see the County commit to essentially maintaining their current harvest practices for the next 40 years while generating an estimated $24 million in revenue from the sale of carbon credits. Commission Chair Jennifer Euwer says waiting until October will give people a chance to look at the details of the proposal. A recording of the August 21 worksession on the proposal is available on the Hood River County website.
TD Outreach Team Heads To D.C. Next Week
The Dalles Community Outreach Team will be heading to Washington, D.C. next week to talk about area projects and their potential for federal support and funding. Port of The Dalles Executive Director Andrea Klaas says the trip has two sets of conversations: projects they are seeking funding for, and policy discussions. Among topics they will discuss: funding assistance for the Port of The Dalles to acquire land for continued economic development efforts, the growth of use of The Dalles Marina and the potential to receive money to help redesign the facility, the Columbia Gorge Community College Aviation Maintenance program, a new facility for Q-Life, and funding for forest fuel management programs.
Hydrant Flushing Continues In Downtown The Dalles
The Dalles Public Works Department will continue to flush fire hydrants in the Downtown Area this week. Fire hydrants are flushed in order to clean out deposits, sediments and rust from distribution pipelines; help minimize water quality problems; test fire protection water pressures; exercise hydrant valves; and identify hydrants needing repair or replacement. Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid driving or walking through the water coming directly from a hydrant while it is being flushed. Occasionally main flushing causes water flowing from a tap to be discolored from stirred up sediment or milky white caused by tiny air bubbles. Although discolored water won’t make you sick, you might want to flush the pipe by running the water for several minutes before drinking or washing. If the water does not clear, contact the Public Works office at 541-296-5401.
Trail Section Dedicated
Two additional miles of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail were dedicated on Saturday. The dedication ceremony included a ribbon-cutting at Viento State Park South, now home to a new hiker/biker campground with an ADA-accessible campsite, three shelters for cooking, lockers with chargers, hot showers and an ADA-accessible restroom. This additional two-mile segment continues the trail east from Viento State Park toward Mitchell Point. With this segment open, people hiking, biking and rolling can enjoy eight miles of car-free trail heading east from the Wyeth Trailhead at Intestate 84 Exit 51. The trail does not yet connect to the Mitchell Point Tunnel, scheduled to open in the spring of 2024. With this new segment now open, the State Trail has 18 car-free miles between Troutdale and The Dalles with four miles remaining.
Help Sought In Poaching Investigation
The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s help in locating the individual or individuals responsible for the poaching of a buck deer in the Hood management unit south of Hood River. It is believed the buck was shot with a high powered pellet gun rifle sometime between 6:00 p.m. on August 24 and 6:30 a.m. on August 25. The deer was located near 5940 Billings Rd just off of Dee Highway. No part of the deer was removed. The OSP Fish & Wildlife Division is urging anyone with information about this case to call the Oregon State Police Tip-line at 1-800-452-7888, *OSP, or email at TIP@osp.oregon.gov. Reference case number SP23-274719.
HROA Names Kelly Interim Principal
The Hood River County School District Board of Directors voted to appoint Joe Kelly as the Hood River Options Academy interim principal. Kelly replaces Kelly Running, who was appointed as the director of special education for the district in July. HROA provides an alternative, online learning program for students. Kelly taught life science at Hood River Valley High School for 21 years. In his teaching role, Kelly worked collaboratively on the design of biology and life science curriculum, he coordinated and implemented field studies and place-based learning activities.
Bridge Lift Gear Box Repaired
The bridge lift of the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge is available again after repairs to a tower gear box were completed. On August 3, local contractor Sky-Comm removed the broken gear box and electric motor from the south tower and shipped it to Philadelphia Gear in Pasco for diagnostics and repair, which was completed on August 28. Then on Wednesday, Sky-Comm hoisted, reassembled, and aligned the gear box and motor assembly on the tower. Port staff tested the system on Thursday and the bridge lift was reopened for mariners. Total cost for the repairs was $15,000. The cause of the damage is regular wear and tear on the machinery which appears to be original to the lift.
Prep Sports Scoreboard For September 8-9
Football
Hood River Valley 35, The Dalles 18
Stevenson 13, Columbia 7
Union 42, Sherman 8
Elgin 50, Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 22
Harper Charter 37, South Wasco 26
Seton Catholic 22, Goldendale 7
Cross Country
The Dalles boys finished fifth and the girls seventh at the Runners’ Soul Invitational in Hermiston. The Riverhawks’ Alana Casady was 14th in the girls’ race, and Tyson Long 15th in the boys’ race.
Goldendale freshman Emma Meagher won the girls’ race at the Ellensburg Relays while teammate Jennasea Smith took sixth.
Columbia’s Lilah Zimmerman finished seventh in the girls’ run at the Steve Maas Run-A-Ree at Hudson’s Bay
Volleyball
Dufur def. Trout Lake-Glenwood-Klickitat 25-12, 25-11, 25-22
Dufur def. Mannahouse Academy at Klickitat 25-16, 25-23, 25-17
Mannahouse Academy def. Trout Lake-Glenwood-Klickitat 25-20, 25-15, 25-20
Girls Soccer
Amity 4, Trout Lake 1
Goldendale 4, Ocosta 2