Hood River City Council has given the go-ahead to do engineering work for putting a signal at the intersection of Rand Road and Cascade Avenue.  City Manager Rachel Fuller says since the project was first considered nearly seven years ago, costs for engineering have gone up by about $200,000.  She adds that when it comes time to decide whether to go ahead with construction, there will be cost increases to deal with there as well.  The Oregon Department of Transportation has approved $750,000 towards the intersection project.  A full estimate on construction costs is expected in 2019.

There will be a 45-minute full closure of the Hood River/White Salmon Interstate bridge beginning at 5:00 a.m. Wednesday for maintenance to the lift span.  North and southbound motorists alike should expect significant delays from 5:00 a.m. until traffic clears sometime shortly after 6:00 a.m.

The long-awaited reopening of Hood River’s Children’s Park took place over the weekend.  The park had been closed for about a year after deterioration of the original wooden play structure left many parts of it unsafe.  City Councilor Kate McBride noted the new expanded play structure has plenty of room for children to have fun, even when it is crowded as it was over the weekend.  The park was rebuilt in large part by community volunteers in June, but the opening had to be delayed while key parts were on back-order from the manufacturer.  The new structure is constructed from modern all-weather materials that should have a much longer lifespan than the old wooden facility.

Arborists will remove hazard trees from the slopes around Multnomah Falls, requiring a one-day closure Tuesday of the lower viewing platform and trail to Benson Bridge at Multnomah Falls.  Arborists will start around 8 a.m. Tuesday and may need to work until sunset.  Multnomah Falls Lodge will remain open through the hazard tree operations.  Visitors should be aware that opportunities to get scenic photographs of the falls will be limited during the time that the platform and trail are closed.  The work will focus on several problematic trees in the vicinity of Benson Bridge as part of a broader effort to remove trees burned or damaged during the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire.  Visitors are welcome 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.

Restriping of the intersection of West 9th and Cherry Heights will take place in The Dalles on Tuesday morning.  That will require multiple traffic revisions in the intersection, and there will be flaggers to control traffic.  All local businesses and residents will have access while the work takes place.  Work is expected to occur between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Friends of the White Salmon Valley Community Library’s annual Community Reads program, KOOBDOOGA, is underway.  The organization’s Sheri Bosler says this year’s book is Danger Close:  My Epic Journey as a Combat Helicopter Pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan by Husum native Amber Smith.  The book chronicles Smith’s experiences in a male-dominated profession.  Programs take place at 2 p.m. Saturday at the library in White Salmon for the next five weeks.  For a complete schedule of KOOBDOOGA events, go to fvrl.org/koobdooga.

Football Hood River Valley 71, Benson 0:  Brandon Rivera set a school record rushing for six touchdowns, while the HRV defense also set a school record allowing the Techmen only 15 yards of total offense. The Dalles 31, Crook County 0:  The Riverhawks ran for 186 yards in gaining their first victory of the season.  J.R. Scott had a pair of short touchdown runs, while Gabe Helseth ran for one touchdown and passed for another. Hoquiam 28, Columbia 20 Irrigon 16, Stevenson 14 Dufur 52, Enterprise 16 Union 40, Sherman 32 South Wasco 65, Burnt River 12 Zillah 57, Goldendale 0 Lyle-Wishram 46, Liberty Bell 6   Cross Country The Dalles boys won the team title while the Riverhawk girls tied for first with Crescent Valley at the Bridgette Nelson Memorial Invitational in Sorosis Park.  The Riverhawks’ Emma Mullins won the girls’ race.  Sam Alvarez of The Dalles finished second to Hunter Nichols of Heppner in the boys’ race.   Volleyball Sherman def. Condon-Wheeler 25-19, 25-9, 25-19   Boys Soccer Prescott 5, Trout Lake 2   Girls Soccer Hoquiam 7, Columbia 2

Oregon Second District Congressman Greg Walden says he has accepted an invitation from KTVZ News Channel 21 in Bend to attend a televised debate on October 5.  The Hood River Republican is being opposed by Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner in the November election.  McLeod-Skinner has been seeking debates with the long-time representative.  The debate will be live streamed online and available through social media.  It is scheduled for 7 p.m. on October 5.

Cross Country Columbia won both the boys and girls team competition in a five-school run at North Bonneville.  The Bruins’ Jacob Lockman and Dylan Beneventi finished one-two in the boys’ race, while Columbia’s Lillian Nelson was first and Stevenson’s Isabella Spencer second in the girls’ competition.

The Oregon Court of Appeals issued a ruling today affirming a lower court decision that ruled a suit against Wasco County and members of the County Commission in how it handled a vote to issue notice of intent to withdraw from the North Central Public Health District was moot, but did direct the ruling be changed from a finding for the defendant to a judgement for dismissal.  Chip Wood’s lawsuit was filed in regard to the December 2014 vote not being on the County Commission’s meeting agenda in violation of the state’s Public Meetings Law.  Days after suit was filed in February 2015, the Commission placed the issue on its agenda and voted to rescind the December action.  In its opinion, the Court of Appeals stated the vote to rescind rendered the lawsuit moot, but the trial court erred in entering a judgement in the defendants’ favor, when the case should have been dismissed as moot.  The appeals court remanded the case back to the trial court with instructions to enter a judgment of dismissal.