The Dalles City Council reached consensus to have staff bring back an ordinance allowing shelter housing facilities in both general commercial and commercial light industrial zones to the panel’s January 10 meeting.  Councilors decided to remove a clause recommended by the municipal planning commission calling for projects in the general commercial zone to be subjected to receiving a conditional use permit.  Kenny LaPoint of Mid-Columbia Community Action, which is working on developing a navigation center for the homeless that would include a shelter, said the CUP requirement could cause delays and risk funding losses.  Councilors also decided to remove language calling for bathing facilities, noting state law already has provisions for those in place.

The Dalles City Council held another chapter in the long-running discussion on the future of the Gitchell-Waldron Building, the oldest existing commercial building in the city.  Mayor Rich Mays had asked for it to be placed on the agenda, noting the subject has been on-going for years.  Eric Gleason, representing the group that has been advocating for its preservation, once again said there is a path forward to reuse the building and make it a vibrant part of the community.  The Council reached consensus to give interim City Manager Daniel Hunter the authority to get an evaluation done, probably involving KPFF, the firm that did a similar study in 2015.

The Hood River County School District is preparing for forecasted winter weather Wednesday morning.  Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn outlines the factors involved in determining whether to simply delay school or cancel outright, which mainly is whether the roads are clear enough to run the buses and what the weather is projected to do through the day.  Polkinghorn noted the district’s buses are built for rugged weather, and chains can be placed on all of them.  Some of them have drop down chains built in.

Washington Gorge Action Programs WAGAP warming shelter services are officially open as of Monday and will include extended service during Hazardous Weather Events as they arise over the winter.  WAGAP officials say the program will operate differently this year, moving to a lodging facilities model rather than having one physical location.  WAGAP’s warming shelter phone line will be staffed daily from 3 to 6 p.m. at 509-281-1129, but clients must arrive in person each day to receive services.   For clients in Skamania County, registration must occur daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the WAGAP office at 683 Rock Creek Drive in Stevenson.  A one-night lodging voucher will be provided for redemption that evening at a local participating facility.  The next day’s check-out time will be according to each facility’s check-out policy.  For clients in Klickitat County, call the WAGAP Warming Shelter phone line at 509-281-1129 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day to receive a referral to services that may be provided through Klickitat or Hood River County lodging facilities.  

Boys Basketball

Corbett 68, Columbia 52

  Girls Basketball

Dayton 41, The Dalles 39

Corbett 71, Columbia 30

The Oregon School Activities Association Executive Board on Tuesday approved the final recommendation from its redistricting committee that will see Hood River Valley move to the Class 5A Northwest Oregon Conference and The Dalles move from Class 5A to the Class 4A Tri-Valley Conference in September of 2022.  For HRV, it’s a move to play in a Portland-metro area based league for the first time in a number of years, joining a Northwest Conference that will include Canby, Centennial, Hillsboro, LaSalle, Milwaukie, Parkrose, Putnam, and Wilsonville.  The Dalles joins the Tri-Valley Conference made up of Gladstone, Estacada, Madras, Molalla, and Crook County.  These leagues are for most sports but does not include football.  A separate committee will meet to determine Oregon’s high school football leagues starting early in the new year.

With cold winter weather in the forecast, including ice and snow, work to construct the new Highway 97 located between Indian Service Road and Wilson Charley Road, in Klickitat County, is on hold until next year.  On Wednesday, the Washington State Department of Transportation’s contractor, Cascade Bridge, will pause work to replace the existing two-lane concrete slab bridge with a new concrete structure that will meet current bridge safety and functionality standards.  The work will resume next spring when warm, dry weather returns.  This $7.5 million dollar project is now scheduled for completion in fall 2022.

The Port of The Dalles was part of an eight-month effort looking at what needs to be done for The Dalles to be attractive for technology companies and how to support entrepreneurs in that sector.  Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says the group will begin early next year taking action, and one of the big needs is to help develop the workforce companies in the region require to fill their employment needs within the community.  Google helped fund the study that was done in conjunction with the Center for Rural Innovation.

The ordinance to create a parking permit program at access points to seven trailheads on Hood River County forestlands will go to a hearing in January.  County Commissioners passed the first reading of the ordinance last week, after it received technical revisions for wording following a hearing earlier this fall.  County Administrator Jeff Hecksel says the goal is to get the program started this spring.  Hecksel did say the County Forestry Department is already beginning work to get ready for the program.  

An adult and two juveniles were arrested in Hood River on Friday after  a large amount of fentanyl and cash was found in a vehicle they were in following a traffic stop.  According to the Hood River Police, an officer had observed several signs of impairment in the adult driver of the vehicle, and in conducting a consent search of the vehicle located over 1,700 suspected fentanyl pills, an ounce of heroin, and a large amount of money.  The man was lodged at NORCOR on numerous charges along with a felony warrant.  One of the juveniles lodged at NORCOR’s juvenile detention center, while the other received a citation and was released to a family member.  Police say the street value for the pills and heroin is estimated at approximately $37,000.  Police also said two of the suspects have an extensive history involving the sale and delivery of narcotics.