A Washington State Department of Health official said during a Facebook Live forum for Skamania, Clark, and Cowlitz county residents that the state is hearing from federal officials they should soon start receiving estimates of how much COVID-19 vaccine the state will receive over a period of a few weeks.  Lauren Jenks of the Washington Deparment of Health said that should help with planning vaccine distribution.  Jenks says the state already has the plans in place to ramp up vaccine distribution. She said they are only receiving about a third of the amount of vaccine they could deliver in a given week.

There will be road closures in downtown The Dalles this week as repairs to broken water main and damaged roadway that occurred late Saturday night take place.  A full road closure will be in place on East 3rd Street between Jefferson and Laughlin streets.  A detour to East 1st is in place for eastbound traffic.  The intersection of Jefferson and East 2nd is closed.  Jefferson Street is closed at the alley between East 3rd and East 4^th.  The alley will remain open to through traffic.  Some downtown businesses have been notified that water service will be shut off during the water main repair.  Other downtown area customers may experience water flowing from a tap to be discolored from stirred up sediment or milky white caused by tiny air bubbles.  Although discolored water won’t make people sick, customers can flush the pipe by running the water for several minutes before drinking or washing.  If the water does not clear, contact the Public Works office at 541-296-5401.

The North Wasco County School District 21 Education Foundation is looking to be more active in 2021.  Foundation administrative director Rebecca Thistlethwaite says in 2020 the organization raised more money from individual donors than they ever have, adopted a new strategic plan, launched a website, and is committing to be more transparent about what they are.  She adds in 2021 the foundation wants to continue to assist the district as it sees students return to classrooms.      Information on the foundation is available at northwascoed.org.  

Klickitat and Skamania counties will be in phase 1 of Washington’s Roadmap to Recovery plan for at least two more weeks after the region they are in fell short of metrics to move up in three of four categories, and that has some local officials frustrated.  Klickitat County Public Health Director Erinn Quinn says some of the statistics used were dated, and she remains concerned about her county being attached to Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum counties.  The region has gotten under the average 7-day percentage of Intensive Care Unit staffed bed occupancy needed for moving to phase 2, but did not meet metrics for the 14-day trend in COVID cases, new COVID hospital admissions, and the seven-day percentage of positive COVID tests.

A public hearing will be held Thursday in a Washington House committee on a bill sponsored by 14th District Representative Gina Mosbrucker that would require the Secretary of State’s office to distribute a voters’ pamphlet, along with ballots, to each registered Washington voter overseas.  Mosbrucker says the bill would require the voters’ pamphlet to be sent at the same time as the ballots so that voters and military servicemen and women have the information to decide how to vote.  The measure is scheduled for a public hearing Thursday morning in the State Government and Tribal Relations Committee.  Citizens who wish to testify online remotely or submit written testimony can do so on a special page of the Legislature’s website, titled “Participating in Committee Hearings.”

Republican lawmakers are accusing Democrat Governor Kate Brown of prioritizing urban over rural residents for vaccine distribution.  Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen said during a Friday press conference that doses are being redirected this week to the Portland Metro area and 12 other counties who have a significant amount of eligible people not vaccinated.  Allen says the reduction is for this coming week only.  Republican legislative leaders Rep. Christine Drazan and Sen. Fred Girod said the governor’s decision to send additional vaccines to the Metro area is “prioritizing urban Oregon over the needs of rural Oregon.”  Allen said counties that received higher allocations or that believe they’ve vaccinated their eligible populations will get fewer vaccines next week, while others will get more to accelerate their progress.  According to numbers released at the press conference, Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties will receive around 100 fewer vaccines this coming week than planned, while no details were given for Hood River County.

Columbia Gorge Community College is preparing to continue to operate with on-line classes when spring term starts, but also getting ready to possibly offer some courses in person when the situation allows it.  CGCC President Dr. Marta Yera-Cronin says once a class starts online it will stay that way, but if they can offer some classes later in the spring in-person, they want to do it.  Cronin says enrollment has been steady through the pandemic, with some losses in non-credit community education but that has been made up for in for-credit classes.  CGCC’s spring term class offerings will be announced soon.  

A 27-year-old Washougal man was arrested on drug charges by Hood River Police after a traffic stop on Interstate 84 near milepost 62 on Wednesday.  According to Hood River Police Chief Neal Holste, Cody Bliss was discovered to have a nationwide warrant for his arrest after the vehicle he was driving was pulled over.  Officers found heroin, methamphetamine, and morphine along with drug paraphernalia in the vehicle.  Bliss was booked and lodged at the Northern Oregon Regional Corrections Facility in The Dalles on charges of possession and delivery of methamphetamine, possession of heroin, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, carrying a concealed weapon, fail to carry and present a license, tampering with drug records, and the outstanding warrant.  

The City of Hood River has contracted with a licensed clinical social worker to provide direct outreach to those experiencing homelessness.  Alisa Fowler has two decades of professional, educational, and volunteer experience as a therapist service provider, and she specializes in mental health and housing with a commitment to the model of “housing as healthcare.”  Fowler says many think those experiencing homelessness are from outside of the community, but that’s usually not the case.  She says usually they are from within the community.  Hood River residents experiencing homelessness and seeking basic needs and assistance can call Fowler at 971-238-4438.  The City of Hood River’s homelessness stakeholder group will discuss long-term options for homeless services in February.

Two area legislators introduced a bill in the Oregon Legislature this week that would create longer sentences for criminals who cause permanent physical injury to their victim.  59th District Representative Daniel Bonham first introduced Ezra’s Law during the 2020 session, and is being joined by 30th District Senator Lynn Findley in sponsoring the bill.  Bonham says while he had been disappointed that the bill didn’t move last year, since then the bill has been refined, including tightening the definition of permanent disability.  Judicial review for significant mitigating circumstances is also built into the bill.  The bill got a public hearing on Tuesday in the House Judiciary Committee.  The bill is named after four-year-old Ezra Thomas of Madras, who three years ago suffered severe injuries that left him in a wheelchair and unable to breath on his own after being beaten by his mother’s then-boyfriend.