Boys Basketball

Goldendale 79, Columbia 48:  Eli Golding scored 23 points and Caleb Smith added 22 to pace the Timberwolves.  Spencer Karlson scored 19 for the Bruins.

  Girls Basketball

Goldendale 54, Columbia 42

The Oregon Department of Transportation says Highway 197 was closed north of Dufur late this morning due to an accident.  ODOT said the highway was closed in both directions between mileposts 12 and 13 as of just before 10 a.m. before reopening in the early afternoon.  The agency had expected the closure to be lengthy, and advised motorists to use alternate routes.  No details on the accident were available yet.

Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue is looking for volunteers.  Volunteer coordinator Fred Coleman says they are just finishing up a volunteer structural academy, but there will be wildland training coming up in the spring.  He says the pandemic has made it more difficult to find volunteers.  Coleman says they also have needs for people to volunteer in non-response positions.  Those who would like to volunteer with Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue can contact Coleman at MCFR at 541-296- 9445 or go online to mcfr.org and go to the volunteering page for an application.

The Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association’s Voci Choir is getting ready to perform its holiday concert later this month.  Director Mark Steighner says the group has not been able to perform for almost two yearsm and they will be singing their Christmas around the world and through the ages selections.  The Voci Choir will perform on December 10 at Riverside Community Church in Hood River and on December 12 at St. Peter’s Landmark in The Dalles.  For ticket information go to gorgeorchestra.org.

State health officials said Tuesday Oregonians no longer have to wear a mask in public outdoor settings, lifting a mandate in place nearly three months.  Since late summer the state has required that everyone wear a mask in a public, outdoor space where social distancing isn’t possible, regardless of vaccination status.  Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen says this change reflects the downward trend in COVID-19 cases.  But Allen also said people should expect to keep wearing masks indoors at least into next year, noting there is still limited hospital capacity available.  He did not want to give any kind of estimate on when more guidelines will be relaxed, adding vaccinations remain the best path out of the pandemic.

The Dalles City Council reached consensus to direct interim City Manager Daniel Hunter to develop a task force to put together a climate action plan.  The move was made after a group of community members made a presentation during Monday’s meeting urging the City to develop such a group to consider actions through the lens of climate change.  Group spokesperson Debi Ferrer said there are likely to be opportunities for communities with a plan on actions to take regarding climate to get funding from various sources.  Ferrer contended there are costs in both action and inaction on climate change, but money spent on action is an investment in the future.

The Hood River City Council voted on Monday night to enter into a six-month exclusive negotiating agreement with Community Development Partners as the latest step toward developing an affordable housing project on property owned by the City on Rand Road.  CDP graded out the highest among proposals that were reviewed by a seven-member committee.  The current proposal includes all rental units with no ownership options at this point, which concerned many Councilors, but Mayor Kate McBride pointed out they are facing a tight timeline to prepare applications for state funding expected to be due early this spring.  The next steps include public outreach, additional design, engineering, and financial analysis, and property rezoning.

The Starlight Parade returns in downtown The Dalles on Friday night.  After holding a static parade last year, this year’s event will be back to normal.  The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson says they are excited for the event, which will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the tree lighting at the Chamber office at 7 p.m.  Farquharson noted the weekend also features Small Business Saturday, a day to remind people to support locally-owned businesses in the community.  

Like many municipalities, the City of The Dalles is trying to fill vacancies on its police department.  The Dalles City Council approved the hiring of two new officers, but Mayor Rich Mays noted they have to go through extensive training before they can be on the street.  Mays says they are offering incentives for officers who would are already trained and be willing to make a lateral move to The Dalles.  The City has been actively recruiting for police officers since April.

Hood River’s Urban Renewal Agency board and committee held a worksession to discuss what it would take to form a new Urban Renewal district in the Westside area.  Two current districts, in downtown and the waterfront, will expire this year, creating the opportunity to use Urban Renewal in the Westside if desired.  Mayor Kate McBride says there are many infrastructure needs in that area that Urban Renewal can help pay for and may need to be done in order to spur development of affordable housing in that area.  McBride said Urban Renewal funds could also be used for parks and land for affordable housing.  She emphasized the worksession was to learn more about the options available, and a number of steps would have to take place before a decision could be made.