The Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals reversed The Dalles City Council’s decision to deny a permit for Legacy Development Group’s “The Grove” subdivision on Richmond Street.  In its final opinion and order, LUBA sustained all of Legacy’s challenges to the Council’s bases for denial of the application, and ordered the City to approve it.  The order goes on to say the Council denied the application on bases barred by state law because the standards the Council found were not met are not “clear and objective”…therefore the decision was “outside the range of discretion allowed the local government under its comprehensive plan and implementing ordinances.”  Much of LUBA’s decision centered on transportation impact study issues.  The City can appeal LUBA’s decision to the Oregon Court of Appeals.  Mayor Rich Mays indicated the Council would discuss the matter in executive session during their meeting on Monday night, but there was no decision announced after that session.

The winter warming shelters that were placed on City of The Dalles property on Bargeway Drive will be closing at the end of the month.  City Councilor Darcy Long-Curtiss told the Council on Monday that the shelter worked as it was intended to.  She added mainstream housing vouchers have been received for some of those in the shelters as part of federal COVID-19 relief, but housing supply remains a problem.  Long-Curtiss adds they housed some people in the shelter with serious medical issues who would not have otherwise made it through the winter.

North Central Public Health District has received the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine and will have a clinic on Friday using that vaccine only.  There were 150 slots made available for booking on Monday.  The health district has been distributing the two-dose Moderna vaccine already, and says having different types of vaccine available for use can offer more options and flexibility for the public.  To sign up for vaccine in Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties, visit ncphd.org and fill out the form.  Those 65 and older are currently eligible for the vaccine, as are first responders, healthcare workers, educators and childcare providers, and paid/unpaid caregivers and those receiving in-home care.

Boys Soccer Horizon Christian 1, Central Christian 1 Columbia Christian 2, Trout Lake 0   Girls Soccer Kalama 2, Stevenson 0   Volleyball Dufur def. Trout Lake 25-9, 25-15, 26-24 Napavine def. Stevenson 3 games to 0

Wasco County Commissioners received a report last week from a team of staff members that have been exploring options for communicating with citizens.  County Commissioner Kathy Schwartz says going to virtual meetings during the pandemic has led to a jump in citizen participation in meetings.  The report outlined different approaches for various audiences.  Schwartz says the group will come back to the Commission with specific recommendations and costs to move forward with.

Maryhill Museum of Art will be welcoming visitors back when it opens for the season on Monday.  Museum executive director Colleen Schafroth says they have a 25 percent capacity limit at this time, which is roughly about 100 people.  Schafroth says they will used timed entry tickets allowing patrons to access the museum for two to three hours.  Maryhill Museum of Art will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning this Monday.  For ticketing information go to maryhillmuseum.org.

Hood River County officials are studying proposals at the state level to revive the Timber Severance Tax.  One that received a hearing in the Legislature recently would be a five percent tax on all harvested timber to go to wildfire fighting, forest research projects, and local jurisdictions.  But County Commission Chair Mike Oates says it’s difficult to tell if the County could benefit from this tax by what they would gain through sales on private land, or could lose because of having to pay it on sales from the County’s own forestlands.  Oates says the County needs to do the math to determine that.  Private timber owners in Oregon paid a severance tax on the value of the trees they logged until the 1990s, when lawmakers passed a series of tax cuts.

The Dalles Community Action Team is once again facing having to pitch community projects to federal officials via virtual meetings rather than going back to Washington, D.C. to do it in-person.  Port of The Dalles Executive Director Andrea Klaas says they are trying to better target who they talk to in this kind of format rather than attempt to mimic their in-person visits as they did in September.  In addition, the Community Action Team will be learning more through these talks about what kind of opportunities may be available with a new presidential administration.

The Hood River County Health Department says the County is getting very close to having distributed 10,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.  County Health Officer Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg says in a Facebook video they have 11 different entities involved in giving shots, and the County is getting between 800 and 1500 doses per week.  He added they also received in the past week 100 doses of the new Johnson and Johnson vaccine.  Van Tilburg added the County is capable of giving out 3,000 doses of vaccine per week if supplies reach the point where they can do it.

North Central Public Health District says as of February 27, they had administered 7,471 COVID vaccines in association with a number of different entities in Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties.  Wasco County has vaccinated 54.5 % of those 80 and older, 37 % of those 75-79; 23.9 % of those 70-74; and 17 % of those 65-69.   Sherman County has vaccinated 58 % of those 80 and older; 21.6 % of those 75-79; 25.5% of those 70-74; and 22.8 % of those 65-69.  Gilliam County has vaccinated 48 % of those 80 and older; 34.8% of those 75-59; 24.8% of those 70-74; and 12.9% of those 65-69.  Entities currently providing vaccines include North Central Public Health District, Mid-Columbia Medical Center, One Community Health, Sherman County Medical Clinic in Moro, Arlington Health Center, South Gilliam Health Center in Condon and Deschutes Rim Clinic in Maupin.