Mid-Columbia Medical Center and Portland Adventist Health are continuing to search for doctors to staff their new cardiology partnership in the Gorge.  Adventist Practice Administrator Jessica Scherler-Hyman says they are conducting a national search, and are advertising to find permanent physicians to locate in the Gorge.  Scherler-Hyman says they expect to have the clinic staffed with full-time physicians by August.  She notes the quality of life in the Gorge is helping to attract interest in the positions.

Boys Basketball

Hood River Valley 69, Mountain View (WA) 64

Corbett 60, Stevenson 45

South Wasco 74, Wallowa 21

South Wasco 65, Joseph 33

Powder Valley 54, Dufur 40

North Clackamas Christian 44, Horizon Christian 43

Lyle-Wishram 44, Bickleton 28

Sherman 47, Pilot Rock 41

Mannahouse Christian 60, Sherman 35

Goldendale 48, River View 40

Goldendale 65, Kiona-Benton 44

  Girls Basketball

Hood River Valley 45, Estacada 38

McKay 29, The Dalles 25

Dufur 51, Powder Valley 25

Wallowa 38, South Wasco 34

Joseph 51, South Wasco 48

Bickleton 50, Lyle-Wishram 31

Pilot Rock 39, Sherman 33

Sherman 58, Mannahouse Christian 52

Goldendale 56, River View 18

Goldendale 53, Kiona-Benton 18

  Wrestling

Hood River Valley’s Connor Farlow placed fifth at 113 pounds while The Dalles’ Freddy Rodriguez at 132 and Taylor Moorehouse at 170 earned sixth place finishes at the Tyrone Woods Invitational at Oregon City

Three people were killed in a head-on collision in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 84 near milepost 89 about two miles east of The Dalles.  According to the Oregon State Police, a preliminary investigation revealed an SUV driven by 32-year-old Colin Leas of McMinnville was going the wrong way on eastbound I-84 and crashed head-on into another SUV operated by 35-year-old Jessica Treadwell of Condon.  The OSP says both vehicles became fully engulfed in flames immediately after impact.  The OSP reported that Leas, Treadwell, and a passenger in Treadwell’s vehicle, 56-year-old Lorena Sparkman of Condon, sustained fatal injuries in the collision.  The eastbound lanes of the freeway at that location were closed for about two-and-a-half hours.  The OSP was assisted by The Dalles Police Department, Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Four people were taken to hospitals, with two taken by LifeFlight to Portland hospitals, after a two-vehicle accident at the junction of Highways 97 and 14 north of Maryhill on Tuesday morning.  According to a Washington State Patrol report, an SUV was northbound on Highway 97 at Highway 14 and failed to top, striking a car going east on Highway 14.  The SUV rolled and came to rest in the westbound ditch, while the car spun around and came to rest in the westbound lane.  The WSP says the driver of the car, 55-year-old Gary Lewis of Goldendale, was first taken to Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles and then flown to Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital.  His passenger, a 29-year-old Goldendale man, was also taken to MCMC.  The occupants of the car, a 54-year-old man from Hattiesburg, Mississippi and a 34-year-old man from Goldendale, were taken to Klickitat Valley Hospital in Goldendale with the 34-year-old flown to Emanuel Hospital in Portland.  The WSP report indicated Lewis would be charged with vehicular assault and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District has posted on its website a concept plan for improvements at Sorosis Park.  District Executive Director Scott Baker says they did a robust outreach process over this past summer to develop the plan.  He noted the overwhelming majority wanted to see the irrigation fixed and replant trees lost to disease in recent months.  Baker says that will be the first phase of the restoration effort.  Baker says the City of The Dalles have pledged $400,000 from federal funds earmarked for infrastructure uses, and the district is hoping for a similar action from Wasco County to go along with $200,000 it has on hand.  Baker added that after that, it will take private donations to do other projects at the park.  The conceptual drawing is posted at nwprd.org.

Klickitat County Public Health Director Erinn Quinn told County Commissioners on Tuesday that the number of COVID-19 cases reported in the County is on a downward trend.  Quinn said there were 21 cases reported last week compared to 27 the week before, and there have only been eight so far this week.  Quinn added she took part in a Monday meeting with the Washington Department of Health that discussed the omicron variant, saying state officials said it is something to watch and be mindful of, but it will be at least a couple of weeks before more is known.  Quinn said Klickitat County’s immunization rate continues to slowly climb, now at 42.5 percent of the total population.

North Central Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell told Wasco County Commissioners on Wednesday that COVID-19 cases continue to trend downward.  After seeing a peak over 500 cases in August, McDonell said that number is down under 200 for November.  McDonell says the local hospitalizations numbers are encouraging after peaking in September.  McDonell said Wasco County has now had 78.5% of residents age 18 and over receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Oregon Farm Bureau Federation and a number of other agricultural organizations including the Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers say they will be opposing a lawsuit filed by the Oregon Law Center this week in regard to agricultural overtime.  The lawsuit claims a 2017 bill on overtime in manufacturing industries should apply to agriculture, which the Farm Bureau and other ag organizations claim was not the case.  In a statement on Wednesday, the organizations called the suit an “appalling attempt” to circumvent the legislative process, noting the groups have been participating in a legislative workgroup discussing the nuances for proposals to extend overtime to agriculture.  The groups also said they pay among the highest wages for agricultural production in the world, and policy changes could have significant impacts on farm viability and the availability of agricultural work.

The City of The Dalles Beautification Committee is getting ready for its holiday decoration contest, and this year the panel plans to recognize three homes with awards.  There will be a winner picked in three different categories, with one being traditional involving lights strung on the house and biblical scenes, Santa themes, and Christmas and winter holiday stores.  But there is also a futuristic category for light shows, music, and new ways of decorating, and a grandiose category that includes entertainment, moving pieces, and over the top and extravagant work.   For a link to the nomination form, go to the City of The Dalles’ Facebook page.

The Next Door is in the midst of its annual year-end fundraising campaign.  The Next Door’s Development Officer Justine Ziegler says the organization has a wide range of programs serving ages ranging from infants to adults.  Ziegler says donors can give to a certain program or to The Next Door as a whole.  She adds they have $600,000 in matching funds available.  To give to The Next Door, go to nextdoorinc.org and click on the donate button.