White Salmon City Councilors will consider extending the moratorium on new short-term rental properties at their meeting on Wednesday to allow for more time to finish work on new STR regulations.  Mayor Marla Keethler says while the moratorium extension would be approved for six months, there is no intention for it to go on for that longm and the expectation is to have the new regulations adopted by their meeting on February 16.  Wednesday’s Council meeting will be held online beginning at 6 p.m.  For access information, go to white-salmon.net.

Mid-Columbia Medical Center reports it is getting some help from the Oregon National Guard.  In a Facebook post, MCMC says eight officers have been assigned there and arrived on Monday.  MCMC officials indicate they will on the main hospital campus or at Water’s Edge, performing non-clinical roles to support the hospital’s daily operations.  As a result of the Omicron-fueled COVID-19 surge, Oregon National Guard members have been deployed to hospitals across the state to provide needed staffing support.  Hospitals throughout Oregon continue to see a rising number of patients with COVID-19.

Hood River County School District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn says they are taking things day to day as they manage the Omicron surge of COVID-19.  Polkinghorn says they are stressing the importance of staying home if showing any symptoms of illness.  He added that last week they saw an increase in the amount of COVID testing they did last week.  Polkinghorn estimated they had about a two percent absenteeism rate among both students and staff last week.

Boys Basketball

South Wasco 88, Dufur 39

Mabton 78, Goldendale 74

Girls Basketball South Wasco 50, Dufur 47

Mabton 61, Goldendale 57

Local officials pushing for a new Hood River Interstate Bridge will be making a push during the 2022 legislative sessions in Oregon and Washington to get funding from the federal Infrastrucure Investment Act to complete engineering for the project.  Port of Hood River project manager Kevin Greenwood says they are seeking $20 million from the Oregon Legislature.  But one hurdle to overcome is the fact the bridge is locally owned rather than operated by the Oregon Department of Transportation.  Greenwood says they are making the case for the unique ownership of the existing bridge.  Greenwood says progress is being made on putting together a bi-state bridge authority to oversee a new bridge, and legislation is being introduced to create it.

Washington 14th District State Representative Chris Corry has introduced legislation to reform the Governor’s emergency powers.  Corry says House Bill 1772 would give the Legislature more of a voice during extended emergencies, such as the current pandemic emergency that was declared by Governor Jay Inslee in late February of 2020.  Under Corry’s bill, states of emergency longer than 60 days would require legislative involvement, either by the full membership of both chambers or its leadership.  The bill is co-sponsored by a number of Republican representatives.

Production for the now virtual presentation of The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Citizens Awards will take place later this week in preparation for it to be shown on January 27.  An awards banquet had been planned for this Thursday, but Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson says the current situation with the Omicron variant led to slow ticket sales and the decision to go virtual, which they did last year.  The awards presentation video will be shown on the Chamber’s Facebook page on the 27th at 6 p.m.

The name of the National Scenic Area Fund of the Gorge Community Foundation has been changed to the Katharine Leadbetter Mills National Scenic Area Fund in honor of Kate Mills, who passed away on December 7.  A joint statement by the Columbia River Gorge Commission and the Gorge Community Foundation said the change is to honor Mills’ efforts for 60 years to champion the natural beauty of the Gorge and the Hood River Valley.  The Katharine Leadbetter Mills National Scenic Area Fund is an endowed Designated Fund of the Gorge Community Foundation.  It uses an annual distribution to support conservation, climate change action, education and outreach programming and services for historically excluded or vulnerable individuals in the Columbia River Gorge’s National Scenic Area to protect its scenic, natural, recreation and cultural values and to support the economic vitality of Gorge communities.  Contributions to the Fund may be made to the Gorge Community Foundation at gorgecf.org.

Boys Basketball Hood River Valley 59, Crook County 51 Winlock 55, Stevenson 45 Toutle Lake 71, Stevenson 35 Horizon Christian 56, Sherman 48 South Wasco 77, Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 68 South Wasco 76, Condon 43 Ione-Arlington 67, Trout Lake 39 Ione-Arlington 62, Klickitat-Glenwood 20 Cle Elum 74, Goldendale 48   Girls Basketball Crook County 32, Hood River Valley 10 Horizon Christian 34, Sherman 30 South Wasco 45, Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 25 South Wasco 50, Condon 44 Ione-Arlington 31, Trout Lake 30 Trout Lake 40, Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 21 Ione-Arlington 49, Klickitat-Glenwood 20 Onalaska 69, Stevenson 32 Toutle Lake 45, Stevenson 25   Boys Wrestling Goldendale’s Bryce Waddell won all five of his matches by fall to win the 126-pound division at the Ray Westberg Invitational in Ellensburg   Skiing Thorsen Welch of Hood River Valley was fourth, while The Dalles’ Cooper Klindt was fifth and Grey Roetcisoender sixth in the boys’ portion of the Mt. Hood League boys’ slalom.  Ella Smith of The Dalles was ninth in the girls’ slalom.

The Wasco County Medical Reserve Corps is hosting its 9th Annual Blanket Drive Saturday at the former Chronicle building at Third and Federal in downtown The Dalles from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  All items collected will be donated to The Warming Place in The Dalles, which distributes them to those in need.  Donors can simply pull up to the curb to drop off their items, and volunteers will be outside the building to collect them.  In addition to warm blankets and socks, the Warming Place is also looking for sleeping bags, tarps, tents, warm coats, hats, gloves and travel-size soap and shampoo.  All items should be new or gently used and washed, and in good condition.  All donors are asked to wear a mask and minimize contact when dropping off donations.