The White Salmon City Council has referred the question of whether to purchase Highway 141 from Highway 14 to Alternate 141 to the municipal planning commission for study.  The idea came from a meeting between White Salmon’s City Operations Committee and the Washington Department of Transportation discussing moving portions of the Loop Trail.  The City purchasing the highway from the state would give the City all the authority of what takes place on the road, but also make it responsible for its maintenance.  Mayor Marla Keethler said this should be part of a larger discussion revolving around the cost of overall budget issues.  When the planning commission will be able to take it up is an open question, as Councilors emphasized that panel already has a number of issues on its plate.

Clean-up work on the remains of the fire at The Dalles Marina in early July will start on Monday.  Port of The Dalles Executive Director Andrea Klaas says details are still being hammered out, but she expects the work to be finished by the end of next week.  She says the availability of qualified contractors to do the work was hampered by other jobs taking place during the window for work to take place on the Columbia River.  Still to be removed from the Marina are eight boathouses and two boats that were damaged in the fire.

Construction of a replacement waterline on Hostetler Street in The Dalles will begin on Monday.  It will start at 10th & Hostetler and progress to 6th & Hostetler.    Road closures and detours with flagging leading to potential delays of up to 20 minutes are to be expected throughout the duration of this project.  Construction & road closures and detours will be segmental as construction progresses along Hostetler.  The first segment will be from 10th Street to 8th Street.

The Dalles Public Works Department will be closing the south lane of East 3rd Street from Madison Street to Taylor Street on Wednesday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Crews will be repairing ruts in the south lane.  The north lane will be open to through traffic during pavement restoration work.  Eastbound automobile and bicycle traffic on East Third Street will merge to the north lane only between Madison Street and Taylor Street from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Sidewalks will remain open for pedestrian traffic on both sides of the street.  

With cooler temperatures, shorter days and rain returning, fire management staff on the Mt. Hood National Forest will be starting fall pile burning as early as next week.  The controlled burns are intended to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk and restore local ecosystems to a healthier condition.  Pile burning is expected to continue over the next several weeks or months, depending on weather conditions.  Crews ignite piles in the morning and early afternoon to allow fuels to burn down prior to evening.  Burn units are monitored by firefighters until they are declared out.  Piles are created during hazardous fuels reduction projects, fire suppression, timber sales, and timber stand improvement projects designed to improve landscape resilience to disease and disturbance.  Roadside slash piles created during fire line construction as part of the 2020 White River Fire will be targeted as well.

Wasco County had a total of 499 new COVID-19 cases reported in September, a slight decrease from the over 500 of August.  But North Central Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell told Wasco County Commissioners on Wednesday that the County had its second highest number of cases for a single week reported for the week ending September 26 with 156.  McDonell said a drop in statewide cases and hospitalizations is encouraging.  McDonell reported the number of Wasco County residents over the age of 18 vaccinated against COVID-19 is now at 68.4%.

The Port of Hood River will conduct extensive live load testing on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge from Saturday through October 24.  That’s in response to a lowered load rating imposed by the Oregon Department of Transportation in March.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says the reduced weight limit on the bridge has had significant impacts on some local businesses, and they want to determine if it is feasible to restore the 32-ton weight limit.  Bridge users should expect intermittent single-lane closures between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day throughout the testing period, with delays of approximately 30 minutes possible depending on traffic volume.  Flaggers will direct traffic around the moving work zone.  Full bridge closures are anticipated to take place on October 13, 18, and 20, with delays of 30-45 minutes possible.

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area will conduct prescribed burning in the eastern Gorge later in the week, possibly Friday and Saturday.  This prescribed burning will take place in Washington between Bingen and Lyle, specifically on the ridge located between Catherine and Major Creeks, also known as Tracy Hill.  Prescribed burns reduce excess fuel buildup and minimize the potential for large scale wildfires while improving the overall health and resiliency of ecosystems.  This project is part of a long-term strategy to develop a fire break that can be utilized to help stop a large fire in this area.  Exact dates will depend on weather and moisture conditions.  Smoke may be visible on Washington State Highway 14 and Interstate 84 at times during the burns.  As burn dates are confirmed, details will be posted on the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Facebook and Twitter pages.  Anyone with asthma can request to be on an advance call list by calling (503) 522-8377 to provide your name and phone number no later than close of business on Thursday.

The Next Door is preparing to open a youth drop-in center at its office in The Dalles once pandemic conditions allow it.  Heather Howard of The Next Door explains the concept behind the drop-in center for ages 14 to 23 is to provide a place for kids in need to be able to go.  The drop-in center will offer a place for youth to access basic hygiene supplies, food, clothes, showers, laundry, computers, and services.  Howard says they are planning a “pop-up drop-in” at The Next Door on 1311 Kelly Avenue in The Dalles on November 20.

Wasco County Commissioners honored Fair Manager Kay Tenold on her final day on the job before retirement.  Tenold began her involvement with the Fair in 1990, was the first woman to be named to its board in 1992, began acting as volunteer fair manager in 2005, and then was contracted by the County to be manager in 2016.  Tenold said she will miss the people she worked with at the fairgrounds.  Commissioners are presenting Tenold with a commemorative clock in honor of her service.