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Author: mbailey

One Dead, One Injured After Odell Fire

Posted on by mbailey

A structure fire in Odell has led to the death of a 64-year-old woman and the hospitalization of her husband.  The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office says the first call of the house fire on 3188 Lingren Road was received at about 1:54 Tuesday morning.  Wy’east Fire District units reported the structure was fully involved.  The Sheriff’s office says a 64-year-old male occupant made it out of the house and was transported by Life Flight to Portland in serious condition, but a 64-year-old female occupant was located deceased inside the home.  Investigators with the Oregon Fire Marshal’s Office, Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, and Oregon State Police are investigating the cause of the fire, but the Sheriff’s Office says at this time there is no reason to suspect anything other than a tragic accident.  Fire crews from Wy’East, Westside, Parkdale, Hood River, and Cascade Locks fire departments responded to the blaze.

 

TD Council Accepts Ownership Of Water Infrastructure From Google

Posted on by mbailey

The Dalles City Council approved accepting ownership of 4.5 acres near West 2nd and Snipes that includes water infrastructure constructed by Google as part of a 2021 infrastructure agreement for the construction of new data centers.  The property includes two 1800 gallon wells, one of which has Aquifer Storage and Recovery capability, two 1.25 million gall above ground storage tanks, and a booster pump station.  City Public Works Director Dale McCabe says it will be an asset to municipal water infrastructure.  In other business, the Council formally approved the municipal budget for the upcoming fiscal year as recommended by the budget committee last month.

 

HR Council Approves 25-26 Budget

Posted on by mbailey

The Hood River City Council has approved the FY 2025-26 municipal budget.  It went through three budget committee meetings during May to get to the Counci. City Finance Director Chris Longinetti outlined to the panel some of the projects the fiscal plan includes.  Among those are a five-year information technology plan, IT equipment replacements, and a utility rate study.  The general fund also includes a transfer to the building fund and a loan to the urban renewal agency in support of promoting housing production.  The public works budget includes plans for water, wastewater, stormline, and road improvements.  The budget was approved by a unanimous vote.

Washington DSHS To Close White Salmon Office

Posted on by mbailey

The Washington Department of Social and Health Services announced it is going to close its brick-and-mortar office in White Salmon on June 30 when the building’s lease expires.  The office has been closed to in-person services since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020.  Community Services Office and Home and Community Services division employees at this location have been teleworking since the pandemic and seeing Home and Community Services customers by appointment only in person, in their home or at the Goldendale Community Services Office, or by phone, online, or other in-person service options.  The DSHS Mobile Outreach Team has been in White Salmon two times each month at the WorkSource Washington office at 107 West Jewett Boulevard.  DSHS says the closure will save the state nearly $77,000 annually in lease costs and facility-related expenses in a time when Washington is also facing a budget shortfall.

Child Dies After Wandering From Hotel Room To Columbia River

Posted on by mbailey

A three-year-old child died on Saturday after being found in the Columbia River following a report of the youngster being missing from the Columbia River Hotel and Conference Center in The Dalles.  According to a statement from The Dalles Police Department, the child was visiting the area with family from Washington.  The child left the family’s room and got outside the hotel.  Officers from The Dalles Police, Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and Intertribal Police all responded to the area and officers began to search for the child within minutes of the emergency call.  Family members were also searching for the child who was located in the Columbia River near the Oregon shoreline.  The child was transported to Adventist Health Columbia Gorge Hospital in The Dalles, but lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful.  The Columbia Gorge Major Crimes Team was activated to investigate, and the Wasco County District Attorney was consulted during the death investigation.

Chip Seal Work In The Dalles Set For Week Of June 16

Posted on by mbailey

City of The Dalles crews and contractors will begin work on several pavement preservation projects next Monday.  The chip seal projects will require short duration road closures between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at each location on the date the work is scheduled to take place.  Detours will be in place during work hours.  Proceed with caution in these areas during construction times and observe all temporary traffic control devices.  A full list of projects and a 2025 The Dalles Pavement Preservation Program map can be viewed at thedalles.org/summerstreetmaintenance.  If you have questions, contact The Dalles Public Works Department at (541) 296-5401.

Yasui Exhibition Opens At Oregon Historical Society On Friday

Posted on by mbailey

The Oregon Historical Society in will open its exhibition The Yasui Family: An American Story on Friday.  It examines relevant questions about citizenship, immigration, and belonging through the lens of an Oregon family with deep roots in the Hood River area.  The exhibition follows in particular the story of Masuo Yasui, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1903 at the age of 16.  He joined his brothers and his father working for the Oregon Short Line, where he stayed for two years before moving to Portland.  In 1908, Masuo moved to Hood River, which had an established community of Japanese immigrants who came to the valley to work in agriculture and logging., and with his brother opened the Yasui Bros. Co. store, which carried a mixture of Japanese and western goods.  The day after the Pearl Harbor attack, the U.S. Treasury Department shut down the store.  The exhibition will be on display at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland through September 6.

HR County Fireworks Ban & ODF Regulated Use Closure Starts Next Week

Posted on by mbailey

Fireworks will be prohibited throughout Hood River County beginning this coming Sunday night at 11:59, following the Regulated Use Closure to be implemented by the Oregon Department of Forestry 12:01 next Monday morning.  The Central Oregon District of ODF declared fire season last Monday.  Hood River County is prohibiting the discharge of fireworks in its unincorporated areas until the Oregon State Forester suspends or terminates the closure.  Beginning this Sunday, the Regulated Use Closure prohibits open campfires throughout the County Forest.  Campfires will only be permitted inside fire rings at the Kingsley Campground through a special waiver until further notice.  Portable cooking stoves that use liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed in forested areas.  All vehicles on County Forest roads must be equipped with either a shovel and a gallon of water or a 2.5-pound fire extinguisher or larger.  As part of the restrictions, County Forest trails will be closed to motorized use on Middle Mountain, Pinemont, and Fir Mountain due to fire danger.  Motorized Off-Highway Vehicle use will still be allowed in Hood River County’s Northwest Area Trail System through a special ODF waiver until further notice.

NWPRD To Look At Redesign Of City Park

Posted on by mbailey

Northern Wasco Parks and Recreation District is looking for individuals to be part of a committee to redesign City Park in The Dalles.  District Executive Director Scott Baker says the playground is nearing the end of its useful life, and the sewer line to the restroom is failing.  He says the need to move the restroom to a different location to connect to a new sewer line leads to more questions about how the park is laid out.  Baker adds they have done some intermediate improvements on City Park, and emphasizes there is a fairly lengthy timeline to go further, starting with gathering public input this year, gathering grant funds and getting a design done next year, with a goal of some construction beginning in 2027.  Baker says a survey on what people would like to see at City Park should go on the district website at nwprd.org later this week.  Those who would like to give input can email admin@nwprd.org.

 

Skamania County Search & Rescue Missions Continue To Rise

Posted on by mbailey

The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office says it experienced a 400% increase in search and rescue missions in May compared to the same month one year ago.  Sheriff Summer Scheyer says that’s in spite of continued efforts to communicate the need for preparedness and warning of the dangers Skamania County recreational opportunities inherently hold, the majority of the missions are a result of people who do not live in the area acting in negligent or reckless way while recreating.  Scheyer says she is working on a county ordinance where an individual could be cited if they are found to be reckless or negligent in their actions where search and rescue is requested to respond.  She wants to deter current behavior while trying to recoup the financial expenditures from the search and rescue missions.

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