The Dalles City Council reached a consensus to hold off on approving the City’s Employment Buildable Lands Inventory, choosing instead to seek a dialogue with the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development about its unique growth challenges. Scott Hege, who said he was speaking as a private citizen and not in his role as a Wasco County Commissioner, told the Council with over 70 percent of what was cited in the inventory as buildable lands owned by one company and likely never to be available to the community, the City really doesn’t have the 20-year supply DLCD wants them to have. Hege said he thinks there is an opportunity to talk with DLCD about the issue. Councilor Tim McGlothlin said there is insufficient land available for economic growth, and a pause was needed. City officials have been fighting Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area restrictions on its urban growth boundary options for a number of years.

The Hood River City Council gave the go-ahead to proceed with a feasibility study for a proposed Westside Urban Renewal District. A timeline presented by City Manager Abigail Elder called for the study phase to be wrapped up by March of next year, while a specific tax increment financing plan would be done by October of 2023. Councilor Mark Zanmiller said with previous discussions about a Westside Urban Renewal plan, he wants the feasibility study to be done as quickly as possible, but Elder did point out there has been very little formal public involvement. A Westside Urban Renewal district plan would need to be in place by the end of 2023 to establish the first year of tax increment financing in Fiscal Year 2024-25.

The “Get Ready The Dalles” emergency preparedness event returns from a pandemic hiatus this Saturday. The event features a number of different local agencies providing information to the public on ways to be prepared for all kinds of emergencies. Tonya Brumley of event sponsor NW Natural says the various agencies will be offering help to cut through all the various guidance for people to be ready for any emergency. “Get Ready The Dalles” will take place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue on 1400 West 8th Street.

The Hood River Police Department says it arrested a man with an active arrest warrant out of Yamhill County during a traffic stop over the weekend. According to an HRPD statement…the man possessed a restricted weapon, a firearm, a destructive device, and methamphetamine. The department also says the man was a convicted felon. He was lodged at NORCOR on Saturday.

The Dalles Outreach Team is getting ready to take another trip to Washington, D.C. to pitch federal agencies on local projects. Port of The Dalles Executive Director Andrea Klaas says the nation’s capital was just coming out of COVID-19 restrictions when they went in March. She says their schedule of meetings is already full, and they are setting their priority list, including forest policy, broadband access, and for the Port funding to acquire more industrial land. The trip is scheduled for the third week in September.

Wasco County Commissioner Steve Kramer is part of the Governor’s Task Force on the state’s recycling system. Kramer says they have producers, manufacturers, haulers, environmental groups, and local governments are all represented on the 17-member panel in an effort to modernize the state’s recycling system. Kramer says the panel has two years to develop a plan for the state’s recycling system.

Volleyball

Elma def. Columbia 3-2

  Boys Soccer

Livingstone Adventist Academy 8, Horizon Christian 2

  Girls Soccer

Adna 4, Stevenson 3 in penalty kicks

 

Cleanup of The Dalles Marina in the aftermath of a fire August 1 that destroyed five boathouses and one dock along with significantly damaging two other boathouses will begin this week.  Port of The Dalles Executive Director Andrea Klaas says contractors will begin arriving tomorrow to do the cleanup.  She says it is expected the clean-up will take about one day per boat house, but this is a more challenging clean-up than after a similar fire last summer.  Klaas says the insurance companies involved in the fire investigation have wrapped up their work.

The Dalles Police Department continues to investigate a shooting that occurred Friday morning in the west end of The Dalles.  Police Chief Tom Worthy said on Monday that they have leads they are working on, but no arrests have been made.  The shooting occurred around 8:30 Friday morning at the terminus of West 2nd Street.  One person was injured.  A pickup truck that was termed a “vehicle of interest” was located, and Worthy says it has been seized as part of the investigation.

Lori Kuechler has been appointed to fill the 52nd District vacancy in the Oregon House by Clackamas, Hood River and Multnomah county commissioners.  Following last month’s resignation from the seat by Rep. Anna Williams, commissioners held a joint session to interview candidates and select a replacement.  Kuechler was selected over two other candidates.  Oregon law requires that a legislative vacancy be filled by county commissioners representing the district in which the vacancy exists.  House District 52 currently includes voters in Clackamas, Hood River and Multnomah counties.  Kuechler will only hold the seat for four months.  Democrat Darcy Long of The Dalles and Republican Jeff Helfrich of Hood River are the candidates on the November ballot.  Long was not eligible for selection to the interim position, as Wasco County does not join the 52nd District until the start of the year.  Finalists were selected by the local Democratic Party, as prescribed by state law.