A 48-year-old Fairview man is believed to have died of a medical issue before his truck and trailer crashed into trees on West 6th in The Dalles early Tuesday morning.  The Dalles Police Captain Jamie Carrico said city and state police officers attempted CPR after removing Richard Boggs from the truck, but it was unsuccessful.  Carrico said Boggs is thought to have had a medical issue prior to the accident, and the medical examiner has ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.  The accident occurred at about 2:45 a.m. Tuesday morning.  No other vehicles were involved, and there was no passenger in the truck.

The containment level for the South Valley Fire edged up to 65 percent.  On Monday night a strike team of engines utilized handheld infrared cameras to scour the landscape along the perimeter of the fire for any threatening hot spots that night crews then worked on, and will be double checked by today’s shift.  Officials say the “pick and shovel” work is necessary to keep the fire from rekindling later this summer.  Crews are continuing to mop up all smokes within 150 feet of structures located within and adjacent to the fire.  Fallers are working to fall all dangerous trees within 300 feet of the fire line for safety and to prevent spotting outside the fire perimeter.  Full containment of the 20,026 acre fire is projected for Friday.  Estimated cost to fight the fire is $4.53 million.

The Hood River County Commission approved a resolution to put a three percent tax on the retail sale of recreational marijuana on the November ballot.  The three percent tax is the maximum allowed by the state.  County Administrator Jeff Hecksel says the County would not realize much revenue from the tax.  Hecksel says an important reason to consider it is to create a level playing field with establishments in the City, where the tax is already in place.

Tuesday is primary election day in Washington.  The ballot features top two primaries for the U.S. Senate seat held by Maria Cantwell, the Third District Congressional seat occupied by Jamie Herrera-Beutler, and both 14th District seats in the Washington State House.  In addition, Klickitat County Fire District #8 in the Glenwood area has a property tax levy increase to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value on this ballot.  Ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, or delivered to an official drop box location.  Lists of drop boxes are available at both the Klickitat County and Skamania County auditor’s websites.

North Wasco County School District 21 elementary schools will be registering students next week.  The registrations will take place Tuesday through Thursday of next week.  D-21 Superintendent Candy Armstrong says getting registrations done early is especially important for new students.  Registrations will also take place at The Dalles Middle School next week.  For hours when each school will be conducting registration activities, go to the D-21 website, nwasco.k12.or.us.  Armstrong says The Dalles High School registrations can be done on-line beginning this week.

Containment of the 20,026 acre South Valley Fire has been moved up to 60 percent this morning.  Fire officials say as the fire cooled in the southeast portion of the fire, crews were reassigned to work through the night on mopping up hot spots and burning stumps, especially around structures in the north end of the fire.  Firefighters are focused on mopping up 75 to 150 feet inward from the perimeter of the fire.  Much of the line is cool, with the heat concentrated north of the Hix and Friend Road areas.  Firefighters are seeing “dust or ash devils,” which occur when solar heating hits the ground and the unstable atmosphere creates a whirlwind, leading to concern these can pick up hot burning embers and carry it over the fire line where a new fire could start outside the perimeter.  The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office lowered all evacuation advisories to Level 1 on Sunday evening.  Over the weekend the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office stated that at least three primary structures and 15 outbuildings have been lost in the fire.    

Containment level for the Milepost 90 Fire in Klickitat County was raised to 85 percent this morning, as a Type 3 incident management team turns over command to local authorities today.  A Type 4 Incident Commander with three engines will patrol the fire today and Saturday looking for hot spots that may still be smoldering in the interior of the fire.  The fire burned 14,500 acres.  Klickitat County Emergency Management Thursday evening announced all evacuation advisories for the Milepost 90 fire have been lifted.  Washington Highway 14 between Dallesport and Maryhill reopened Thursday at a reduced speed limit of 45 miles per hour.  

Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley Thursday asked the U.S. Agriculture Department to designate Sherman, Wasco and Jefferson counties as agricultural disaster areas in the wake of recent wildfires.  The Oregon senators’ request came in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in support of the same request by Oregon Govenor Kate Brown.  Wyden and Merkley noted the fully tally of losses from the fires that have burned more than 100,000 acres has yet to be compiled.  They say a disaster designation will allow farmers and local businesses to apply for emergency loans, insurance relief, and other assistance.  Wyden and Merkley recently joined with Brown to ask Perdue to make some of the $12 billion promised American farmers in trade war relief also available to Oregon farmers devastated by recent wildfires. They also have requested that Perdue provide emergency assistance for Oregon farmers whose crops have been decimated by this summer’s wildland fires.

The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Thursday afternoon helped a man who was unable to descend from a perch above Dog Creek Falls.  Dispatchers received a call from a hiking companion that 35-year-old Wade Nelson of Portland had climbed up to the top of the falls located near Washington Highway 14 milepost 56, but only the caller had made it down.  A search & rescue Deputy responded to the area along with rope teams from Skamania County EMS and manpower from Fire District #1.  Due to the location and the technical ropes required, the Clark County Technical Rescue Team was dispatched as well.  Nelson was helped down and reunited with his hiking partner two-and-a-half hours later.  No injuries were reported.  Skamania County Undersheriff Pat Bond noted there is no designated trail system to climb Dog Creek Falls.

New rockslides near Oneonta and Horsetail falls have set back plans to reopen the six miles of the Historic Columbia River Highway closed since the Eagle Creek Fire.  The highway between Bridal Veil and Ainsworth State Park has remained closed since last September, and the Oregon Department Of Transportation had hoped to reopen that section of road this fall.  The latest slides came from high up on the hillside, spilling across hiking trails and the Historic Columbia River Highway.  Experts are assessing what further safety measures may be needed before the road can reopen.  ODOT, the U.S. Forest Service and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department have been working to reopen sections of the Gorge closed since the Eagle Creek Fire.  ODOT has set no new timeline for reopening the closed road.