Mid-Columbia Medical Center CEO Dennis Knox says they have been able to take in all patients to the hospital during the current COVID-19 Omicron surge, but they have been close a number of times to not being able to do so.  Knox says they have hovered around capacity, but they’ve been able to take all patients to date.  One of the problems they have had is finding places to send patients in need of a higher level of care due to a lack of available beds in the Portland metro area.  Knox estimated about three-quarters of the COVID-19 positive patients at MCMC at any given time are unvaccinated.

Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital will be limiting visitors to one per stay for most patients due to Omicron variant concerns.  According to a statement, the new policy takes effect at all Providence Oregon hospitals on Wednesday.  One designated visitor per patient stay is allowed in adult inpatient units, mother/baby units, emergency departments and hospital-based outpatient and procedural areas.  Special rules apply for people with disabilities or COVID-19 and for those in behavioral health inpatient units.  Pediatric and labor & delivery patients can have two designated visitors.  To prevent the spread of disease, everyone must wear a mask in the hospital and maintain a safe physical distance of six feet.  

Saturday will be the last day of white sturgeon retention fishing in the Bonneville Pool of the Columbia River, from Bonneville Dam to The Dalles Dam and adjacent tributaries.  Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon expect effort to be high for the next few days due to good weather.  Catch rates indicate the harvest guideline of 675 sturgeon will be reached this weekend, marking the second consecutive year that Bonneville Pool recreational sturgeon retention will close in January.  Fishery managers extended the sturgeon retention season for an additional 14 days in The Dalles Pool, from The Dalles Dam to John Day Dam, with the season open three days per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from January 29 through February 28 or until the allowable catch of 190 sturgeon is reached.  Sturgeon retention remains open per permanent regulations in the John Day Pool, from John Day Dam upstream to McNary Dam, for seven days per week until the guideline is met.  Catch rates are currently low in the John Day Pool so no management action is needed at this time.

Klickitat County officials are pushing for both the Oregon and Washington legislatures to pass what is needed to create a bi-state bridge authority to oversee a new Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge.  County Commissioner Jacob Anderson says the hope is the Washington Senate Transportation Committee will pass it this week.  Anderson said once they can get the bi-state bridge authority legislation done, they will move into asking for more financial help for bridge design.  He notes having 14th District Senator Curtis King as the ranking Republican on the Senate Transportation Committee is a big help in their efforts.  

The City of Hood River appears to be in good fiscal shape halfway through the fiscal year.  In a report to City Councilors for their meeting Monday night, City Finance Director Will Norris indicates the City’s revenues and expenditures are balanced with neither a sizable surplus nor deficit to report.  Mayor Kate McBride says their next chunk of federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars was supposed to arrive this fiscal year, but now won’t be in hand until after July 1, but says that won’t cause a problem thanks in part to budgetary actions by past councils.  Norris’ report says city-wide revenues are generally returning to normal as the economy adjusts to the persistent presence of COVID.  The Q2 financial data doesn’t include the largest impacts of the Omicron variant which is projected to peak in Oregon in late January.

Hood River County health and school officials are reminding parents not to send their children to school if they are exhibiting any kind of illness symptoms.  In a weekend Facebook video, County Health Officer Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg says schools are operating in a safe manner, but the community does have to help out by not having kids come to school when showing symptoms of illness.  Van Tilburg also says health officials advised the schools to discontinue contact tracing.  He says at this point of the pandemic the tracing is not that helpful, but he also advised if you or a family member test positive, notify the close contacts you are aware of.  

Final classification for forestlands within Hood River County has been adopted by the Hood River-Wasco Counties Forestland Classification Committee and filed with the County Department of Records and Assessment.  Revisions to the 2012 classification include administrative corrections to lands where the criteria was not applied correctly, classifying CRP as Class 2 or 3 forestland as appropriate, classifying newly identified forestland, identifying lands which no longer meet the definition of forestland and improved accuracy of the classification due to better technology and newer data.  Beginning July 1, all classified forestland in Hood River County will be included in the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Forest Patrol and will have wildland fire protection provided by ODF’s Central Oregon District.  Landowners who receive this service will see a Forest Patrol Assessment on their county tax statement later this fall.

Boys Basketball

Skyview 67, Hood River Valley 62

Mabton 64, Goldendale 50

Goldendale 81, White Swan 53

  Girls Basketball

Hood River Valley 46, Condon 31

Seton Catholic 60, Columbia 51

Mabton 53, Goldendale 33

Goldendale 55, White Swan 33

  Girls Wrestling

Hood River Valley’s Ximena Galvez finished second at 110 pounds to lead the Eagles to a fifth place team finish at the Bob Beisell Invitational in Forest Grove.  Columbia’s Jessica Polkinghorn finished third at 155.

  Goldendale’s Kali Watson was second at 130 pounds at the Othello Lady Huskie Invitational.

  Boys Wrestling

Goldendale’s Victor Canche finished sixth at 160 pounds to lead the Timberwolves’ effort at the Rumble in the Valley Tournament at Prosser

 

Hood River Police released the identity of the burglary suspect who remained in a motel room for over four hours Wednesday afternoon after fleeing an attempt by officers to arrest him.  Hood River Police Chief Neal Holste says 26-year-old Pedro Ayala-Solorio Jr. was lodged at NORCOR on burglary, theft, and criminal mischief charges in connection with a burglary January 14 at Cascade Chevron that included the theft of a large number of lottery tickets.  Ayala had several lottery tickets in his possession when contacted by officers on Wednesday, and a search of his room at the Lone Pine Motel yielded over $2,000 worth of tickets.  After being advised he was under arrest for burglary, Holste said Ayala ran from the police, grabbed an object he claimed was a firearm, and barricaded himself in his room.  After the Northern Oregon Regional Tactical Response Team spent four-and-a-half hours using verbal negotiations, tactical tools, and pepper spray, Ayala surrendered.

Mid-Columbia Community Action will be conducting a federally-mandated point-in-time homeless count in the region next week.  Community Action Executive Director Kenny LaPoint says the count includes both those living in shelter and those living on the streets…and this year people who are “doubled up,” or living a times with friends and at times on the streets, will be counted as well.  LaPoint says a staging station will be set up and open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Community Action office on 312 East 4th in The Dalles this Monday through Wednesday and at the Hood River Alliance Church on 2650 Montello Wednesday and Thursday, where people can be counted and receive access to resources, food, and supplies.  Volunteers will also be going out into the community.