October is once again Gorge Happiness Month.  This is the third year that One Community Health has promoted October as a month to promote acts to help make you and others happy.  There is a calendar with a daily suggestion for helping to promote happiness, and a large schedule of associated events throughout October.  For those items just go to gorgehappiness.org.  

Football Hood River Valley 43, Putnam 12:  Brandon Rivera ran for 164 yards and four touchdowns as the Eagles jumped out to a big lead early and rolled to the win. The Dalles 14, Woodburn 13:  Dalles Seufalemua blocked a game-winning field goal attempt to preserve the victory for the Riverhawks, who move into a tie for second in Class 4A Special District 2. Columbia 14, Seton Catholic 0 Stevenson 27, LaCenter 21:  The Bulldogs scored the final 21 points of the game to defeat the Wildcats and stay in a tie for first in the Trico League with Columbia. Dufur 56, Imbler 14 Ione 42, Sherman 22 Joseph 27, South Wasco 16 Naches Valley 41, Goldendale 18 Lyle-Wishram 65, Mary M. Knight 6   Volleyball Hood River Valley finished second in the Bronze bracket at the Clearwater Classic in Bend…defeating Ashland and South Salem before falling to West Albany in the final. Echo def. Dufur 25-27, 25-13, 10-25, 25-23, 15-7 South Wasco def. Echo 25-12, 25-13, 25-17

Volleyball Hood River Valley def. Ridgeview 25-20, 25-27, 23-25, 25-23, 15-6:  HRV scored the last seven points of the fourth set to keep the match going, then dominated the fifth set to hand the Ravens their first Intermountain Conference loss of the season.  Katie Kennedy had 31 kills, Chloe Kurahara 36 assists, and Bailey Frazier four serving aces. Crook County def. The Dalles 25-21, 25-16, 25-15 Columbia def. Seton Catholic 25-5, 25-9, 25-11 LaCenter def. Stevenson 25-13, 28-26, 25-15 Sherman def. Ione 25-7, 27-25, 25-19 Goldendale def. Cle Elum-Roslyn 25-15, 25-16, 25-21   Boys Soccer Hood River Valley 2, The Dalles 2:  The two teams stay in a tie for first with Ridgeview at the halfway mark of the Intermountain Conference season.   Girls Soccer Hood River Valley 0, The Dalles 0:  The Eagles and Riverhawks stay in a tie for second in the IMC. Columbia 1, Seton Catholic 0 LaCenter 5, Stevenson 0 Cle Elum-Roslyn 12, Goldendale 2   Cross Country The Dalles boys and girls won the Mustang Invitational in Heppner.  Emma Mullins finished first in the girls’ run, while Sam Alvarez was second in the boys’ race. Goldendale’s Lucas Anderson and Ellie Rising won their races at an SCAC meet in Wahluke.  

The Wasco County Commission has decided to inform the state of Oregon that it will officially relinquish administration of building codes to the state on October 31.  The wait until October 31 is to allow the City of The Dalles time to decide whether it wants to take over those operations. County Commissioner Scott Hege says the decision to give the notification is to provide some certainty to all involved, as the state has been operating building codes on a temporary basis since the Mid-Colulmbia Council of Governments was dissolved.  The City did not close the door on taking on the program at a recent meeting, but did express concern over start-up costs, and whether reserves for the program when it was MCCOG could be used for that purpose.

Boys Soccer Horizon Christian 8, C.S. Lewis Academy 0   Volleyball Lyle-Wishram def. Bickleton 25-14, 25-10, 25-12

The Sherman County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday morning that a grass fire that started near Biggs Junction is 100 percent contained.  The fire burned an estimated 5,000 acres as high winds quickly pushed in to the southeast after it started Tuesday afternoon.  The fire began near Biggs Junction and jumped Highway 97, causing the road to be closed in the early evening hours between Biggs and Wasco.  The fire burned toward Scott Canyon.  There are still spot fires in already burned areas.  The Sherman County Sheriff’s Office reported no evacuation advisories were issued, indicating on its Facebook page that residents in the area of the fire were aware of what was taking place.  There are no reports of any structures being damaged as a result of the fire.  There was also a fire on Tuesday evening off Interstate 84 near Taylor Lakes west of The Dalles, but it was quickly contained.

The Next Door is continuing its capital campaign to pay for and renovate its new building in The Dalles that it acquired from the Mid-Columbia Council of Governments.  The Next Door’s Justine Ziegler says they want to do renovations to the building on Kelly Avenue that would include establishing new services in Wasco County, including an alternative school for foster children.  Ziegler noted unlike Klahre House in Hood River, which accepts students from around the state, this would be on a smaller scale and targeted towards local youth.  The goal of the capital campaign is to raise $780,000, but Ziegler notes they are seeking grant opportunities for a significant part of that total.  

Work to remove hazard trees near Multnomah Falls will continue through the week, continuing to limit access to the lower viewing platform and trail to Benson Bridge at Multnomah Falls.  The interagency efforts will protect facilities and improve public safety by felling trees near the falls that were burned and damaged by the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire.  Visitors are encouraged to call the U.S. Forest Service Information Center at Multnomah Falls Lodge at (503) 695-2372 to check the current status of the lower viewing platform before heading out.  Multnomah Falls Lodge remains open during the work.  Current estimates suggest that west end hiking trails on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area may reopen by the end of 2018. This includes Larch Mountain (up to the junction with Wahkeena Falls), Wakheena Falls, Angels Rest, Devil’s Rest, Vista Point, and the Return Trail.

Girls Soccer Hood River Valley 5, Pendleton 1:  Laura Delatorre scored a pair of goals as the Eagles won their third straight Intermountain Conference game. The Dalles 1, Redmond 0:  Ali Andrade scored late in the second half to lift the Riverhawks to the win. Columbia 2, Castle Rock 2 Stevenson 2, Seton Catholic 1 LaSalle (Yakima) 12, Goldendale 0   Boys Soccer Hood River Valley 1, Pendleton 0 The Dalles 8, Redmond 4   Volleyball Stevenson def. Seton Catholic 25-22, 19-25, 25-14, 25-13 Castle Rock def. Columbia 3 sets to 0 Dufur def. Mitchell-Spray 25-13, 25-14, 25-22 South Wasco def. Ione 27-25, 25-22, 25-12 LaSalle (Yakima) def. Goldendale 25-17, 25-22, 25-21   Boys Water Polo Reynolds 12, Hood River Valley 10   Girls Water Polo Hood River Valley 13, Reynolds 9

North Wasco County School District 21 is seeking passage of a measure that would issue a series of bonds totaling up to 235 million dollars over 20 years to build a new high school and three elementary schools.  The impact on property taxes would be $2.99 per one-thousand dollars of assessed property value, with properties in the former The Dalles School District 12 seeing a jump of $1.34 from their current rate as the bond that build The Dalles Middle School is retired in 2021.  Phil Brady, a member of the Strong Community Schools Committee, says the need isn’t just strictly educational, but also to attract businesses that have passed The Dalles by because of concerns about the schools.  The bond measure is on the November ballot.