The Dalles Public Works Department will work on a pavement preservation project next week on West 6th Street west of Cherry Heights Road. The eastbound lane on West 6th Street will be closed during work hours on Monday and Tuesday, while the westbound lane on West 6th Street will be closed next Wednesday and Thursday. Work hours will be 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Motorists, bicycles and pedestrians are asked to use detours around the work zone during work hours. The street will be reopened to the traveling public each evening. Walk up business access will be open during construction. For safety reasons, parking on West 6th Street within the work zone will not be allowed until the project is complete. The purpose of this project is to grind out the wheel ruts and replace approximately 500 feet of pavement in each lane. Crews will also grind and replace pavement in a larger area that needs to be patched.
Author: mbailey
Volunteers Sought For Pika Count
The Oregon Zoo is recruiting volunteers to seek out one of the Columbia River Gorge’s fluffiest residents: the American pika. Cascades Pika Watch is a collaboration between organizations and volunteers convened by the zoo to locate and map pika populations. Pikas are potato-sized members of the rabbit family, known for their squeak-toy alarm calls frequently heard among the rocky slopes of the Cascade volcanoes throughout the Columbia River Gorge. Pikas’ particular habitat and temperature requirements may make them especially vulnerable to a warming climate — and especially interesting to biologists studying the effects of climate change. Pika Watch volunteers helped document the gorge population’s recovery following the 2017 Eagle Creek fire. This year, volunteers will begin monitoring sites at the edges of the pika’s core habitat, where the Gorge passes into the dry, eastern rain shadow of the Cascades. Cascades Pika Watch volunteers conduct regular surveys to track pika presence across the region. Sites are accessed via public hiking trails, and no special skills are required. A training session is set for May 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. Go to gorgediscovery.org for sign-up information.
HR City Council Approves SDC Changes
The Hood River City Council approved implementing changes to system development charges over the next five years, including using analytically-based and supportable scaling methodology for residential SDC’s. City Finance Director Chris Longentti said the scaling will allow the City to assess SDC’s by the square foot to encourage more affordable housing developments. SDC’s for water, sewer, stormwater, and transportation will go up gradually over the next five years. Councilors passed the new plan unanimously.
TD Council Approves Fireworks Ordinance
The Dalles City Council approved an ordinance to declare a local state of emergency in extreme weather conditions and restrict the personal use of fireworks. The ordinance sets two trigger points to automatically put a ban on personal use fireworks in effect: either the state of Oregon declares a drought emergency relating to fire danger in Wasco County, or Wasco County prohibits the use of fireworks. City Manager Matthew Klebes says the Council has discussed this kind of move for a number of years to avoid having to take emergency measures in the days before July 4. The City Council could still declare a state of emergency restricting fireworks use through additional action if it was to choose to, but the ordinance should help avoid last minute firework regulations being adopted going forward.
Two Hood River County Residents Likely Victims Of CJD
The Hood River County Health Department says two people in the County have died likely as a result of the rate brain disorder Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Health Department Public Information Officer Daron Ryan says over the last eight months, there have been one confirmed and two probable cases of CJD. Ryan says per state law, the health department investigates and monitors diseases that could be a risk to the public, and at this time, there is no identifiable link between these three cases. The risk of getting CJD is extremely low. It does not spread through the air, touch, social contact, or water. Ryan adds this is an active and ongoing investigation in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the health department will continue to monitor the situation.
April 14 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
The Dalles 3, Crook County 2: Trey Hodges pitched five innings of hitless relief, and also drove in two runs. Hodges struck out six after coming into the game early in the third inning.
Softball
Crook County 9, The Dalles 5: Crook County withstood a late rally by the Riverhawks, who scored five in the sixth inning but could not come all the way back. Bryce Newby and Edie May both had three hits and a run batted in for The Dalles.
Boys Soccer
Columbia 2, King’s Way Christian 2
Boys Golf
Hood River Valley was fourth at the LaSalle Invitational at Persimmon Golf Course. The host Falcons came out on top. John Olson was the top Eagle on the day, finishing in a tie for fifth with a ten-over-par 81.
April 11-12 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Ida B. Wells 12, Hood River Valley 8: The Guardians blew the game open in the late innings. Bodie Stuben had two hits and two RBI for the Eagles.
Newport 6, The Dalles 5: Will Booth, Finley Corbin , and Avery Schwartz all homered for the Riverhawks in the losing effort.
Joseph sweeps Sherman 11-1 and 14-3
Asotin 10, Goldendale 0
Chelan 6, Goldendale 2
Softball
Astoria 2, The Dalles 1: Maddie Brock accounted for The Dalles’ only run with a solo homer in the top of the seventh inning.
LaCenter 7, Stevenson 3: Rebecca Townsend had three hits for the Bulldogs.
Track and Field
Riverside was the boys’ winner and Echo the girls’ victor at the Condon Invitational. South Wasco’s Storm McCoy won a pair of events.
Logan King won the boys’ 1500 meters with a sub-four minute run to highlight the Hood River Valley effort at the Wilsonville Invitational.
Julian Morehouse cleared 14’ 6” to win the boys’ pole vault for The Dalles at the need For Speed Invitational at Sherwood.
Columbia’s Samantha Evans and Saylor Hague finished one-two in the girls’ high jump at the Tiger Invitational at Battle Ground.
Horizon Christian’s Hannah Adams won the girls’ pole vault at the Lower Columbia Invitational at St. Helens.
Sherman’s Taylor Payne had a second place finish in the girls’ 1500 meters at the Pepsi Invitational at Union High School.
Trout Lake dominated the pole vault at the Rob Frank Invitational in Banks, with Sawyer Dean the boys’ winner and Jade McLean taking first in the girls’ competition.
Matthew Gray’s win in the triple jump highlighted Goldendale’s third place finish at the Quincy Invitational.
Boys Tennis
The Dalles 5, Philomath 0
Boys Lacrosse
Lincoln 16, Hood River Valley 6
Girls Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 10, St. Mary’s 9
Boys Soccer
King’s Way Christian 8, Stevenson 0
Port of TD Putting Considers Waterfront Plan
The Port of The Dalles is considering putting together a waterfront master plan. Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says the Port owns a fair amount of the waterfront in The Dalles along with other partners, primarily Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District and the City of The Dalles. She says as a first step they are having a survey done to determine where in the Columbia River are the Port-owned boundaries. That’s important because when the Port built its dock in 1933, it was built on dry land. Now it goes out into the Bonneville Pool of the Columbia River. Klaas says after they get that answer, they can move toward a comprehensive water plan from the commercial cruise dock to Lone Pine.
Wyden Town Hall April 23 In The Dalles
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden will hold a town hall in The Dalles later this month. It will take place on April 23 at 1 p.m. at The Dalles High School. It will kick off a swing of seven town hall appearances in four days for Wyden. He will also go to Umatilla, Grant, Harney, Lake, Klamath and Douglas counties. Wyden’s office says he has held 1,100 open-to-all town halls during his Senate tenure, one each year in each of the state’s 36 counties. Doors will open one hour before the town hall start times for attendees. Backpacks and large bags will not be allowed in the town hall for security reasons.
The Dalles Downtown Beautification Grant Process Starts
The City of The Dalles Beautification and Tree Committee has started its 2025 Downtown Beautification Grant program. The grants provides reimbursement of up to $300 to eligible downtown business and property owners for projects that enhance the visual appeal of their storefronts. Qualifying projects may include flowers, greenery, planters, and long-lasting infrastructure such as hanging basket systems and other durable beautification elements. Applications are due by May 1, and early submissions are encouraged due to limited funding. Grant recipients will be notified by May 15. Approved projects must be completed during the 2025 growing season, and recipients are required to maintain their improvements throughout the season. The program area is limited to the downtown commercial zone. For more information, to view the downtown commercial zone map, and to complete the application, visit www.thedalles.org/DTGrantBTC.