Resurfacing work will be restarting Wednesday on Highway 142 between Lyle and the Little Klickitat River.  The Washington State Department of Transportation says work was paused in mid-June to allow recently applied crack sealant time to cure before a chip seal is applied.  The chip seal work will resume Wednesday, and when it does travelers should expect daytime delays of up to 20 minutes, with flaggers or a pilot car directing vehicles through the work zone.  Beginning at 6 a.m. Thursday and continuing through 5 p.m. Friday, Highway 142 will be fully closed from mileposts 19 to 22.5 for the chip seal application.  The project is scheduled for completion this fall.

The Dalles Public Works Department will be painting the center and side lines on several streets in the city this week.  Motorists are asked to watch for the crews and avoid driving on the wet paint.  The paint truck will be preceded and followed by warning vehicles, with signs calling attention to the wet paint.  The trucks will be spaced according to the necessary drying time of the paint.  Attempting to pass or drive between the trucks will result in a messy striping job and paint damage to the motorist’s vehicle.  Motorists are strongly advised to avoid the wet paint because it cannot be easily removed from vehicles.

Mid-Columbia Medical Center has signed a non-binding letter of intent to join Adventist Health.  MCMC made the announcement today, saying as part of the proposed agreement Adventist Health will commit at least $100 million to finance strategic capital needs…with a shared vision for a future healthcare campus in The Dalles.  If finalized, MCMC would become part of Adventist Health’s Oregon Network, which includes medical centers in Portland and Tillamook along with over 47 other clinics.  MCMC Board of Trustees Strategic Exploration Committee Co-Chair Dr. Paul Cardosi said Adventist Health has a tradition of non-profit integrated health care going beyond hospital walls.  MCMC officials stressed while the letter of intent is an important milestone, there is still more work to do to determine the special details of a potential affiliation, and nothing changes at this time.

Dedication of Highway 35 as the Nisei World War II Veterans Memorial Highway will take place on Saturday.  A dedication ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Wy’east Middle School Performing Arts Center, with the unveiling of one of the four signs to be placed on the highway to mark the dedication will take place at about 3 p.m. at the viewpoint just south of Hood River.  Historian Linda Tamura says the selection of Highway 35 is of special significance, with about 250 Japanese-American families living in the Hood River Valley and farming since the early 1900’s.  Tamura noted they have identified 433 Nisei veterans in Oregon, of which 58 are from Hood River.  They are among the 33,000 Nisei soldiers who served during World War II.

Two people are dead after a single vehicle automobile accident discovered Wednesday evening on Highway 293 near milepost 8 in south Wasco County.  According to the Oregon State Police, a preliminary investigation revealed a car that had been reported stolen earlier in the day from Fossil was southbound and for unknown reasons left the roadway going down an embankment where it crashed into a tree.  The adult male driver and a female passenger were declared deceased at the scene by emergency personnel.  Troopers are attempting to identify both occupants.  The crash was reported to emergency personnel by a landowner who found the vehicle on his property.  It is unknown when the crash happened.  

The Wasco County Fair and Rodeo is just a week away.  It gets underway next Thursday at the fairgrounds in Tygh Valley.  Preparations for the fair were delayed slightly by the fairgrounds being used as a fire camp last week during the nearby Miller Road Fire, but fair manager Zach Harvey says they will have everything ready for next week.  This year’s fair will feature a combination of expanded entertainment attractions and long-time favorite activities.  For detailed information go to the Wasco County Fair and Rodeo Facebook page.

Columbia Gorge Community College will participate for the second consecutive year in the Metallica Scholars program.  The CGCC Foundation matched the award to offer $100,000 in scholarships for students enrolled in career-technology training.  Funds are also used to purchase toolkits for students in construction trades and advanced manufacturing.  Funded by Metallica’s All Within My Hands foundation and led by the American Association of Community Colleges, the Metallica Scholars Initiative directly supports students while elevating the importance of career and technical education.  This year there are ten more colleges being added to the program, with an investment of $1.8 million.  To learn more about the program at CGCC, go to cgcc.edu.

Providence Health System will be bringing its Better Outcomes thru Bridges behavioral health program to Hood River this fall. Program manager Becky Wilkinson explains the program works with patients dealing with homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health issues after they leave the hospital.  She says the program is person-centered. letting the patient drive their care rather than telling them what to do.  Wilkinson said they have found that approach has led to many of their clients making the decision to seek help on their own.  Wilkinson says they will be hiring two staff members for the program in Hood River, an outreach specialist that is essential a case manager and a peer support specialist.

 Washington Gorge Action Programs received a surprise $25,000 donation from First Interstate Bank this week.  The funds are part of the bank’s Believe in Local campaign and will help support a new Mobile Food Bank set to launch in September to serve less populated areas.  WAGAP was nominated by local First Interstate employee Maria Pike and selected from a pool of over 400 nominees thanks to its alignment with the Bank’s philanthropic goals.  Bingen First Interstate employees have been volunteering at the Food Bank since January.  WAGAP is one of forty nonprofit organizations across First Interstate’s recently expanded 14-state footprint will receive a $25,000 donation to support their work.

Wasco County Commissioners are pleased the Oregon Department of Forestry decided to pull back a Wildfire Risk Map for revision and to do a better job of public outreach before putting it into practice.  But they also emphasized at a meeting this week the need for people to protect their properties from wildfire.  Commissioner Steve Kramer says it’s important for the public to be involved, and for state officials to listen.  Commissioner Scott Hege added it is important for property owners to keep their properties defensible from wildfire.