Klickitat County Commissioners have voted to clarify outdoor burning ban regulations in unincorporated areas, with a goal of clearly defining what is allowed and not allowed during a burn ban. The burn ban prohibits combustion of material of any type in an open fire or in an outdoor container without providing for the control of combustion and emissions. That includes debris piles and campfires that utilize wood, pressed logs, wood pellets, paper, cardboard, briquettes, or other solid fuels, all incendiary devices, all containers and devices burning solid fuel with uncontained combustion or open flame, lanterns, outdoor stoves, and Tiki torches that use non-pressurized liquid gas or fuel, solid fuel candles that are not enclosed within a metal or glass container or with exhaust ports greater than ½ inch, and weed burners. Use of enclosed containers designed and built for outdoor burning such as barbecues, smokers, outdoor ovens or stoves is allowed. Also, liquid Fuel burning devices including ones with an open flame that have a shut off valve and do not incorporate any solid fuels in the combustion process can be used. Complete details are available at klickitatcounty.org.
Author: mbailey
Wasco County Watching FEMA Flood Map Uses
Wasco County Commissioners are watching the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s process of updating flood maps, and its planned implementation of a National Marine Fisheries Service biological opinion to tighten various uses of lands in some flood plains. County Commissioner Scott Hege says the Oregon’s land use system already has rules in place to deal with those lands, and some of the NMFS rules run counter to them. FEMA has scheduled open houses on the flood plain maps on May 23 at The Dalles High School and May 24 at Wamic Community Center, both running from 5:30 to 7:30.
Drug Possession Law Talks Continue In Washington
Talks continue in advance of next Tuesday’s planned special session of the Washington Legislature to try to find a compromise for a statewide drug possession law. The state Supreme Court struck down Washington’s felony drug possession law in 2021, after which legislators temporarily made drug possession a misdemeanor. But that expires July 1, and legislators remain split, with some wanting to go to a gross misdemeanor as a way to encourage users to seek treatment and others wanting to stay at a misdemeanor. Goldendale Republican Representative Gina Mosbrucker is involved in the negotiations, and she says there is no deal as of yet. Washington Governor Jay Inslee did set the special session to be 30 days in length, even though legislators are not expected to go to Olympia until there is a deal in place. If no legislation is passed, many local governments are preparing to pass their own ordinances, which some say could set up a confusing patchwork of drug laws in Washington.
Klickitat County Zone 1 Burn Ban Starts May 15
Klickitat County will institute a burn ban in Zone 1, in the easternmost part of the county, on Monday. Burn Ban Zone One defined as lands East of the Klickitat County Fire District #7 eastern boundary to include but not limited to Klickitat County Fire Districts #2, 9 and 10, and outside the jurisdiction of the Yakama Nation and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. The issuance of burning permits except for authorized agricultural burning will be prohibited. Residential barbecues will be allowed. Information for Klickitat County Burn Ban Zones 2 and 3 will be released as soon as the 2023 dates are finalized. Detailed information is available at klickitatcounty.org.
Sealing Work On Three Streets In The Dalles Next Week
Crack sealing of asphalt on three sections of street in The Dalles is scheduled for next week. Work will take place Monday through Friday beginning at 7 a.m. each morning. Streets scheduled for the work include West Scenic Drive between Garrison and West 20th, Old Dufur Road between Lambert and Fremont, and Lone Pine Boulevard from Highway 197 to Lone Pine Drive. No park signs will be placed on the curb at least 48 hours ahead of scheduled work. Motorists are asked to watch for the crews and avoid driving on rubberized asphalt crack seal until it is set. These crack seal projects will require short duration lane closures between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at each location. The Dalles Public Works has posted a list of streets that will be crack sealed at thedalles.org/summerstreetmaintenance.
May 10 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Crook County 8, The Dalles 6: A late rally from an 8-2 deficit fell short for the Riverhawks. Braden Schwartz had two hits, including a double, for The Dalles.
Hood River Valley 10, Hillsboro 0: Jordan Webber pitched five hitless innings and struck out nine, while Grady Williams had three hits and three runs batted in, as the Eagles moved closer to clinching a state playoff berth with the win over the Spartans.
Softball
The Dalles 10, Crook County 9, 9 innings: Jeilane Stewart homered in the top of the ninth inning to lift the Riverhawks to the win. It was one of five home runs in the game for the Riverhawks.
Columbia 20, King’s Way Christian 7: Maggie Bryan and Macee Barnes drove in four runs apiece for CHS.
Track and Field
Both the Hood River Valley boys and girls finished second in a meet at Crook County. Shaw Burns won two events for the Eagles.
The Dalles won the girls’ portion of a five-school meet at Madras. Madelyn Harrison was first in a pair of events for the Riverhawks.
Goldendale’s boys were second and the girls third at the EWAC West Sub-Districts in Granger. Raymond Holycross won three events and Sean Henrikson two for the Timberwolves.
Phoned Threat Leads To Lockdown At CHS
A call threatening the White Salmon Valley School District on Wednesday afternoon led to a two-hour lockdown at all of the district’s buildings
A statement Wednesday evening from the district said the call to the Klickitat County 911 Dispatch Center was determined to be a hoax, and similar automated calls were made regarding multiple schools in multiple counties across various states in the Pacific Northwest.
A statement by Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer did not classify the call as a hoax.
His statement outlined what led to the lockdown.
Songer indicated the call from an unidentified male subject saying he was outside Columbia High School and was going to kill everyone he could was received by dispatch at 12:48 Wednesday afternoon.
The dispatcher reported she thought she could hear gunshots in the background of the call.
The school went into immediate lockdown with other district buildings, and law enforcement agencies searched the entire campus…noting no one at the school heard gunshots or observe any suspicious activity on school grounds.
The lockdown ended around 2;45 in the afternoon.
TD Council To Revisit STR Rules
The Dalles City Councilors say they will revisit municipal short-term rental ordinances after a group of residents in the Sorosis Park area outlined their experiences with STR’s that are now in their neighborhood. Residents in the area zoned low density residential say they are dealing with increasing noise, traffic, and criminal activity, decreased parking spaces, and disrespect for the surrounding community. Councilor Darcy Long said the time has come to review the STR rules, noting when they were developed The Dalles was not experiencing the numbers of short-term rentals they are seeing now. City Attorney Jonathan Kara pointed out code violations can be reported to the municipal codes enforcement officer.
Wasco County Works On 23-24 Budget
Wasco County’s budget committee is in the process of reviewing the County’s financial plan for the 2023-24 fiscal year. County Commissioner Scott Hege says one of their challenges is dealing with the rising costs of business. He notes this year’s general fund budget is around $36 million, up by 8.2 percent. Hege points out increased revenues from Google projects are a big part of that. The committee’s next meeting is set for Thursday. The County Commission will get the budget for approval in June.
Applications Being Taken For Pitch Fest
Entrepreneurs in Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties are being invited to apply to pitch their business idea to a panel of industry experts and investors. Wasco County Innovation Initiative partners are holding “Gorge Pitch Fest,” with selected applicants receiving the opportunity to make their pitch during an event at the Granada Theatre in The Dalles on June 14. Carrie Pipinich of the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District says it’s an opportunity for entrepreneurs to gain exposure for their ideas, network, and perhaps win some funding. The grand prize is $7,000 in funding. Applications to take part must be submitted by May 17. Go the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District website at mcedd.org to apply.