Columbia Gorge Food Bank announced the expansion of several hunger relief programs and nutrition services across the region thanks in part to a new $100,000 grant from Google.  The Food Bank says it will use the grant to provide Native American communities with culturally appropriate food and propane for storage and cooking, support community gardens and contracts with small farmers, build food security beyond emergency food assistance through partner collaboration, provide SNAP match funding at farmers markets to enable participants to purchase more food, and purchase equipment and furnishings for a community room at the Columbia Gorge Food Bank.  The Columbia Gorge Food Bank serves over 5000 community members per month in Wasco, Hood River and Sherman Counties through 25 regional hunger relief partners, providing services at 33 local sites.  Their reach has more than doubled in recent years and throughout the pandemic they have taken steps to expand services to Native American and Latinx families, farmworkers and rural communities including in South Wasco County and along the Columbia River.

The options for disposing of medications in Wasco and Sherman counties have grown, with more drop box sites and mail-in options.  North Central Public Health District says existing drop boxes at The Dalles Police Department and the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office have been upgraded to MED-project boxes that not only take pills but additional medications including inhalers, unused epi pens, liquids, and ointments.  Two more of the boxes have been added at Mid-Columbia Medical Center’s pharmacy and the Celilo Cancer Center.  In addition, the new MED-project program has mailers people can pick up at the Southern Wasco County Library in Maupin, the Shaniko Fire Department, and Grass Valley City Hall to send their unused medication in for disposal.  People can also request free pre-paid, pre-addressed mailers online at med-project.org.

An 81-year-old Roseburg man was taken to a hospital after an accident involving a pair of semi-trucks at the intersection of Highways 97 and 14 in Klickitat County on Monday afternoon.  According to the Washington State Patrol, the vehicle driven by Michael Hall was northbound on Highway 97 when it went through a stop sign and hit an eastbound truck on Highway 14 driven by 69-year-old Richard Young of Spangle, Washington.  The WSP says Hall was injured and taken to Klickitat Valley Hospital in Goldendale, while Young was not injured.  The WSP report also says Hall was cited for not having a commercial drivers’ license, failure to stop at a stop light, and no seat belt.

Hood River County’s Parking Permit Program for the County Forest Fee Parking Zones will go into effect on Wednesday.  Parking permits may be pre-purchased online at hoodrivercounty.net, and annual permits will soon be available at selected local vendors.  Annual permits are available for $30, and daily permits for the day of purchase are available for $5.  Transaction fees are added for online purchases.  Fee Parking Zones are located near popular Staging Areas including Seven Streams, Post Flats, Family Man, Binns Hill, Kingsley and Pinemont.  Parking Permit revenue will be used to maintain, develop, and manage County Forest recreation and trails.  

The final weekend closure of the season for The Dalles Bridge over the Columbia River will take place this coming weekend, but they will return after Labor Day weekend.  The Oregon Department of Transportation says the bridge deck replacement project will not wrap up work by Memorial Day as originally planned.  Weekend closures will pause during the summer as tourism traffic increases, along with the need for the bridge to be fully open for the agricultural industry and wildfire responders.  Crews will continue nightly single-lane closures while they work.  Weekend closures will return after Labor Day.

North Wasco County School District 21 is seeking interested individuals to sit on a Community Bond Planning Committee.  District officials say they are seeking interested parents and students from each of its schools, and community and business partners to join school and district staff on this committee.  The group will meet to discuss issues and needs such as safety, security, accessibility, capacity, and overall facility needs to help identify and prioritize capital improvement projects, and eventually make recommendations for a potential bond measure to the D-21 Board of Directors. The committee application can be found on the North Wasco County School District website at nwasco.k12.or.us.  The deadline to apply is Tuesday, May 17th.

For the first time in a couple of years, the Wasco County Children’s Fair will take place later this month.  A number of local agencies will put on the event at The Dalles City Park on May 21.  Nancey Patten of Child Care Partners emphasizes it is a free event for parents and their children.  There will be opportunities for children to be entertained while parents can learn about resources available to them.  The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 21 at The Dalles City Park.

Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association Stages will perform the rock musical Rent over the next three weekends at the Bingen Theater.  Jonathan Larson’s story of young artists struggling to survive in Lower Manhattan’s East Village had a twelve-year run on Broadway.  CGOA’s Mark Steighner says Larson was writing shows about everyday people, and translated that into a musical.  There are eight performances scheduled over the next three weekends.  For time and ticket information, go to gorgeorchestra.org.  

Baseball

Hood River Valley sweeps Pendleton 5-0 and 13-4:  The Eagles move two games in front of the Buckaroos atop the Intermountain Conference with the victories.  In game one Jacob von Lubken pitched a five-hit shutout while Ryles Buckley drove in a pair of runs and Mason Spellecy homered.  In the nightcap Buckley drove in three more runs, while Spellecy and Hunter Hough had three hits apiece.

Redmond sweeps The Dalles 8-7 and 14-0:  The Panthers scored in the bottom of the seventh to with the opener after the Riverhawks had come back from a six-run deficit to tie.  Joseph Teixeira pitched a five-inning no-hitter for Redmond in the second contest.

Dufur sweeps Heppner 5-0 and 11-7:  The Rangers stay tied for first with Weston-McEwen in District 7.

Seton Catholic 13, Columbia 5

  Softball

The Dalles sweeps Redmond 9-4 and 15-0:  Zoe LeBreton homered and drove in two runs in the opener, then homered and drove in four runs while Despina Seufalemua had two home runs and four RBI in a nightcap that saw the Riverhawks score 14 runs in the first inning.

Pendleton sweeps Hood River Valley 17-0 and 15-0:  The Buckaroos scored in every inning of the twinbill as both games were shortened to four innings.

Columbia 10, Seton Catholic 2:  Sydney Aman drove in three runs and Macee Barnes two for the Bruins, who are now 12-2 on the year.

Stevenson 12, Winlock 10

  Track and Field

Hood River Valley’s Simone Tillman won the girls’ 100 meters and The Dalles’ Zoe Dunn the girls’ triple jump to highlight the local effort at the Dean Nice Invitational in Gresham.

  Boys Tennis

Redmond 5, Hood River Valley 3

  Boys Lacrosse

Central Catholic 10, Hood River Valley 8

  The Dalles High School has tabbed Marc Schilling as the Riverhawks’ new head football coach.  Schilling spent the last six years as the defensive coordinator at Estacada High School, where the Rangers reached the Class 4A playoffs five straight times, including a semi-final appearance this past season.  Schilling was raised in Nyssa and graduated from Riverside High School in Boardman.  The school says Schilling is planning an upcoming visit to The Dalles to meet with parents and players.

Washington Gorge Action Programs will be opening a drop-in center for its Homeless Youth Housing Program in June.  The center will be located in a former bank building on West Main Street in Goldendale.  WAGAP Homeless Youth Housing Program Department Supervisor Bobby Casey says the center is designed to be a safe place for ages 13 to 24 to find help and connect them with services.  He adds the center will be run by people who have experienced youth homelessness in their lifetime.  An open house is planned on Friday, June 3.