Oregon State Parks staff are busy preparing campgrounds for a more “normal” 2021 Spring Break and summer camping season.  Although Oregon Lottery and park visitor fee revenue is projected to be down more than $20 million by the end of the 2019-21 biennium that ends June 30, nearly all state parks are open or will be in the next few months, including those parks that will reopen after usual seasonal closures.  Oregon State Parks is also recruiting seasonal staff for park operations, and is able to do so because of spending reductions begun last year.  Overnight camping rates will remain the same as 2020 rates except for a $3 increase for electric hookup and full hookup sites in selected parks May 28-Sept. 6.  Park staff are evaluating the status of two park campgrounds that were temporarily closed because of wildfire damage: Collier Memorial State Park and Detroit Lake State Park.

Football Hood River Valley 30, LaSalle 14:  Tanner Fletcher ran for 313 yards and three touchdowns, and Trenton Hughes ran for the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter to lead the Eagles to the season-opening victory. Castle Rock 48, Columbia 0 Dufur 60, Pilot Rock 14 South Wasco 55, Prairie City 6 Sherman 54, Echo 19 Wahkiakum 47, Stevenson 7 Goldendale 60, Fort Vancouver 6   Boys Soccer Franklin 5, Hood River Valley 2   Girls Soccer Hermiston 5, The Dalles 0   Volleyball Hermiston def. The Dalles 25-23, 25-16, 25-23 Adna def. Stevenson 3 games to 0   Cross Country Columbia was first and Goldendale second in the boys’ portion of a three-school race with King’s Way Christian in White Salmon on Saturday.  Camden Uffelman was second and August Lorincz third for the Bruins, while Nick Bowdish was fourth and Austin Williams fifth for the Timberwolves.  There were no complete teams in the girls’ race, which was won by Columbia’s Ella Zimmerman with teammate Rian Pederson in second.

The 2021 White Salmon Spring Festival has been cancelled.  Organizers said the event had been scheduled for the first weekend in June, but COVID-19 concerns led to the decision to not hold it.  In a statement, organizers said the decision was made in consultation with White Salmon Mayor Marla Keethler, Executive Director of the Mt Adams Chamber of Commerce Tammara Tippel & Bingen-White Salmon Police Chief Mike Hepner out of concern for the health and safety of event organizers, vendors & community members.  Festival organizers say they are very disappointed that they will be unable to hold the event but know it’s the right decision based on the information they have today, and their top priority is the well-being of community members.

Boys Soccer The Dalles 2, Riverside 0   Girls Soccer The Dalles 2, Riverside 1:  Courtney Hert scored two goals in the season opener with one assist from Vivian Harrah and another from Brenda Cabrera. Hood River Valley 1, Franklin 0 Goldendale 3, Seton Catholic 2   Volleyball South Wasco def. Lyle-Wishram 25-5, 25-11, 20-25, 25-6 Echo def. Sherman 25-18, 25-10, 25-18 Winlock def. Stevenson 3 games to 0 LaCenter def. Columbia 25-18, 25-17, 25-20 Goldendale def. Seton Catholic 3 games to 0

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce formally announced Friday it is transitioning its planning efforts from the 41st Annual Northwest Cherry Festival to All About The Cherry for 2021.  The announcement confirmed what Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson had told the Mid-Columbia Today program last month, that efforts would be focused on the All About The Cherry event during the month of July to highlight the cherry industry.  Current state guidelines prevent the Northwest Cherry Festival from taking place.  All About The Cherry will include a Cherry Trail, Cherry Hunt, Window Decorating Contest, Pictures with Bigfoot and more!  The Chamber will announce further details at a later time.  Those with questions can call the Chamber at 541-296-2231.

If Wasco County and the City of The Dalles approve a Strategic Improvement Plan with Google that would allow the company to build new data centers on former Northwest Aluminum and Rodeo Grounds properties, the local governments would receive a 35-acre parcel near NORCOR.  County Administrator Tyler Stone said during this week’s Wasco County Commission meeting that at this point, there is no definitive plan for what that property would be used for.  Negotiations between the local governments and Google continue to iron out legal language in the agreement, then both the Wasco County Commission and The Dalles City Council will vote on it.  Those votes may take place later this month.

The Hood River Valley Adult Center announced it has raised $250,000 locally in Phase One of its Capital Funds Campaign.  The funds will go towards a remodeled kitchen at The Center, where meals for the Meals on Wheels program, and congregate meals are prepared.  Phase Two of the Capital Funds Campaign is now underway, and matching grants are being sought.  Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital grant writer Paul Lindberg is helping the Center in that effort.  Once grant funds have been received, work will begin on the kitchen remodel.  The Center Board of Directors and Capital Funds Campaign committee members are now looking towards Phases Three and Four of this Campaign, seeking local donations to be matched by grants to do more upgrades. Tax deductible donations can be made online by visiting hrvac.org or by mailing a check to HRVAC, 2010 Sterling Drive, Hood River, OR 97031.

North Central Public Health District was sending COVID-19 vaccine booking emails today to those 65 and older, and other eligible groups, who have signed up for their vaccine eligibility notification system.  Phone outreach is also ongoing to senior citizens.  The health district that serves Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties opened 350 appointment slots today for the week of March 15.  However, the email will go to about 2,500 people.  If you are still getting these booking emails and have gotten the vaccine, you are asked to unsubscribe.   The district also added a feature to its website, ncphd.org, that will tell the public whether or not vaccines are available, so they don’t have to keep checking for openings.  It will appear on the district’s home page, vaccine information page, and on the booking page itself.

There was no vote Wednesday by Wasco County Commissioners on the Strategic Investment Plan Google is seeking to build new data centers on former Northwest Aluminum and Rodeo Grounds properties, as negotiations continue between the company and the County and the City of The Dalles.  Wasco County Administrator Tyler Stone says those negotiations revolve around legal language, and he doesn’t expect any significant changes to the agreement that has been outlined to both the County Commission and City Council.  Stone says he hopes an agreement can be ready for the County Commission to vote on March 17, and then the City Council would do the same on March 22.  Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue is also meeting with Google on a fire protection plan for the proposed structures.

During her COVID-19 status report to Wasco County Commissioners on Wednesday, North Central Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell answered a question about the ability of vaccines to deal with variants of the virus by noting while it is a concern, the vaccines can be adapted.  McDonell says current information shows the vaccines are effective against the variants that have appeared in this country to this point, and vaccine manufacturers continue their studies.  She said these types of vaccines can be changed if the spike protein develops over the course of multiple mutations.  McDonell also said that she gets asked which vaccine a person should get, and she told Commissioners the answer is “whatever is available to you.”  She presented statistics to the Commission showing there have been only ten COVID-19 cases reported in Wasco County for the last two weeks, with a positive testing rate of only 1.1%.