Boys Basketball
Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 92, Trout Lake 44
North Douglas 66, South Wasco 50
Girls Basketball
Heritage 76, Stevenson 26
Trout Lake 47, Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 14
Author: mbailey
Bridge Doesn’t Get Federal Grants In 2022
The Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Replacement project team were notified by the U.S. Department of Transportation that the project was not awarded any federal grants in 2022. Port of Hood River Executive Director Kevin Greenwood says there were four different grant applications filed, asking for between 100 million and 195 million dollars apiece. Greenwood added department officials indicated they need to complete a couple of more steps to receive federal funds, one of which is to get funding from the states in place during the 2023 legislative session. Other steps that need be completed include getting the new bi-state bridge authority approved by all the parties involved, and completing the final Environmental Impact Statement for the new bridge.
Tickets For Distinguished Citizens Gala Available Through Tuesday
Tickets remain available through Tuesday for The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce Great Gatsby Gala Distinguished Citizen Awards Banquet coming up on Thursday. Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson says after not being able to hold an in-person banquet the last couple of years, they are planning a fun night. There will be eight Distinguished Citizen Awards given out during the banquet. Tickets are available through Tuesday at thedalleschamber.com or by calling 541-296-2231. The event starts Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center.
Discovery Center Opens Railroad & National Parks Exhibit Friday
The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center’s latest exhibit is a traveling exhibit from the Union Pacific Railroad Museum. “All Set for the West: Railroads and National Parks” opens to the public on Friday. Discovery Center Marketing Director Mikey Goyette says the exhibit features photography from when national parks were being established, but they were difficult to access. The Discovery Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be a member’s only opening reception on Thursday evening, go to gorgediscovery.org for membership information.
January 13-14 Prep Sports Roundup
Boys Basketball
North Marion 65, The Dalles 49
South Wasco 66, Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 59
South Wasco 86, Condon 29
Horizon Christian 52, Sherman 44
Willamette Valley Christian 46, Horizon Christian 35
Sherman 62, Lyle-Wishram 38
Condon 75, Lyle-Wishram 50
Ione-Arlington 84, Trout Lake 40
Ione-Arlington 81, Klickitat-Glenwood 22
Goldendale 44, Kittitas 37
Connell 54, Goldendale 39
Girls Basketball
The Dalles 58, North Marion 49
Columbia 45, LaCenter 38
Stevenson 50, Castle Rock 34
South Wasco 67, Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 43
South Wasco 73, Condon 37
Sherman 33, Horizon Christian 25
Sherman 48, Lyle-Wishram 10
Dufur 52, Bickleton 28
Horizon Christian 42, Bickleton 26
Condon 42, Lyle-Wishram 4
Trout Lake 42, Ione-Arlington 29
Klickitat-Glenwood 58, Ione-Arlington 35
Goldendale 49, Kittitas 35
Goldendale 43, Connell 22
Boys Wrestling
Connor Farlow’s victory at 132 pounds and second place finishes from Kevin Castro at 152 and Connor Farlow at 113 helped Hood River Valley to a fifth place finish at the Bob Beisell Invitational in Forest Grove.
Fifth place finishes for Matthew Gray and Ivan Erland topped Goldendale’s effort at the Ray Westberg Invitational at Ellensburg
Girls Wrestling
Lauraine Smith won at 155 pounds and Karol Najera at 115 for Hood River Valley as the Eagles finished sixth at the Forest Grove Invitational. Columbia received second place finishes from Cassidy Hipskind and Jessica Polkinghorn.
Jordan Kiemele finished second at 130 pounds for Goldendale at the Walk the Plank Invitational at Davis
Alpine Skiing
Hood River Valley’s Emily Teets won the first Mt. Hood League girls’ ski race of the season, a giant slalom at Mt. Hood Meadows. Ella Smith of The Dalles came in second, while HRV’s Delia Skakel was ninth. In the boys’ race, Thorsen Welch of HRV was third and Lars Welch sixth. Gray Roestcisoender of The Dalles was tenth.
Rand Road Project Receives Funds In Federal Spending Bill
The Rand Road housing project being undertaken by the City of Hood River and Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation has received three million dollars in funding in the recently approved federal omnibus spending bill. CCHC board vice-chair David Sauter says while this affordable housing development is still in its early stages, the federal money will open other opportunities. Community Development Partners in partnership with the Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation and the City of Hood River is looking to place over 120 units of housing of various types on the seven acres. They are seeking funding from the state’s Local Innovation and Fast Track, or LIFT, program in 2023 after not receiving monies in 2022.
Discovery Center Bringing In GEO
The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center is in the process of bringing into its fold the Gorge Ecology Outdoors program. Gorge Ecology Outdoors has been delivering Secrets, Science in Action, Gorge Explorers and additional outdoor science programs to students for 26 years. The Discovery Center’s Mikey Goyette says that program will combine well with the educational programs the Center already offers. The Discovery Center and Gorge Ecology Outdoors have worked together for a number of years on the Gorge Explorers program, which provides opportunities for elementary students in the Gorge to build connections between community and the local landscape through hands-on-learning and stewardship projects.
January 12 Prep Basketball Roundup
Boys Basketball
Wilsonville 63, Hood River Valley 43: The second-ranked Wildcats pulled away in the second half, as Kyle Counts scored 27 points and Kallen Gutridge 24. Sawyer Clemett scored 12 for HRV, and Zak Poole had 10.
LaCenter 54, Columbia 38: Spencer Karlson led CHS with 14 points.
Castle Rock 51, Stevenson 41: Kacen Bach topped Stevenson with 15 points.
Girls Basketball
Wilsonville 61, Hood River Valley 33: The Eagles received 11 points from Ryann Rosselle and 10 from Abby Schrankel, but could not match the conference leaders.
State Epidemiologist Says Virus Activity High, But Improvments Seen
Oregon’s state epidemiologist says respiratory virus activity remains high and hospitals are under strain, but he adds they are seeing improvements. Dr. Dean Sidelinger of the Oregon Health Authority says the state is well past the peak of RSV in children, and hospitalizations from it are decreasing rapidly. Influenza activity remains high in both adults and children, but Sidelinger said we are past the peak of the flu season for adults, and it is starting to decrease among children. COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped in the last week. Sidelinger adds Oregon Health Sciences University modeling predicts a small increase in that number over the next month due to the highly contagious XBB.1.5 variant, and health officials are watching the variant closely. Sidelinger says while this variant is the most transmissible so far, at this time there is no evidence it is associated with more severe infection, so health officials see no significant cause of concern. Sidelinger added bivalent boosters do provide protection against this sub-variant and others.
MCMC Emergency Room Remains Busy
The emergency room remains busy at Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles. MCMC Emergency Services Director Rhianna Hurf says the metro area’s capacity and staffing issues trickle down to the local area. She notes we have an aging population that is getting sicker, so they are seeing more patients leading to longer wait times in the ER. MCMC Emergency Services Nurse Manager Dawn Opbreck says staffing shortages at numerous level of medical care are also having an impact. That backs up patient volumes in the hospital, which leads to ER patients needing admittance to the hospital facing delays in getting a bed.