The Hood River Police Department will hold a “gun take back” day on Saturday to give local residents a chance to turn in unwanted firearms and ammunition.  People are asked to bring firearms they are turning over in a sealed plastic bag, and then covered in something that can’t be seen through, like a paper bag.  The gun must also be unloaded.  A property receipt will be issued to the owner, and all guns will be held for 90 days before disposal, so owners will have the right to retrieve the firearm during that time if they choose.  The gun take back event will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hood River Police Department on 207 Second Street.

Klickitat County Commissioners have received a briefing from Washington Department of Natural Resources officials on interest being shown from companies looking to operate solar farms at the east end of the County.  DNR has started to receive land requests for large scale solar farms requiring sizeable amounts of total acreage.  Commissioner Jim Sizemore says there is a concern of compatibility with grazing operations in the area.  Sizemore points out that under state law DNR is required to manage the lands for the highest dollar for the school trust, and land leases for energy development does bring in substantially more revenue than grazing leases.

White Salmon Spring Festival will take place this weekend.  Activities will start in Rhinegarten Park at 3 p.m. on Friday, and continue through Sunday afternoon.  The festival parade will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and parade organizer Amanda McDonald says this year’s grand marshals will be “Home With Heroes.”  Applications to take part in the parade are still being accepted.  The forms, along with complete festival schedule information, are online at whitesalmonspringfestival.com.

Forest Service firefighters responded Monday morning to a small hotspot reported near Herman Creek.  The glow from the flare-up was reported around 2:00 a.m.   Firefighters located the hotspot early Monday morning, about a half mile east of Herman Creek Trailhead and north of the Gorge 400 trail.  Two engines and a hand crew from the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area were on scene suppressing the fire, which was found smoldering in heavy downed timber with few ground fuels.  The Eagle Creek Fire was contained in late November 2017 but has not yet been declared out, and Forest Service officials say the hotspot is not unexpected.  Heavy fuels and organic material known as duff can hold heat underground over winter and flare back up after a period of warm dry weather.

Dry Hollow Elementary School in The Dalles will be temporarily restructuring their drop-off and pick-up area in an attempt to cut back on confusion and making it safer for kids and drivers in early June.  The temporary traffic calming demonstration includes a re-design of Dry Hollow’s pick-up and drop-off area, a snorkel lane and crosswalk on 19th Street and a mini circle at the intersection of 19th Street & Allen Street.  The project is part of a larger Safe Routes to School effort.  If you would like to volunteer or get involved to help install the project or manage traffic, contact the Blue Zones Project at 541-705-5346, or visit the North Wasco County School District 21 webpage for electronic sign-up sheets.

The City of Hood River continues to call for volunteers to help with the building of the expanded and renovated Children’s Park next week.  City Manager Steve Wheeler says they have plenty of shifts still available, adding you don’t have to have building skills to help out, as there are a number of non-construction tasks that will need to be done.  The firm Play-By-Design will have representatives on site to help guide the project.  Children’s Park build week will begin on Monday and continue through June 10.  To sign up to volunteer, go to cityofhoodriver.com and click on the Children’s Park Rebuild tile.

North Wasco Parks and Recreation District is offering a number of opportunities for kids to have fun this summer.  The North Wasco County Aquatics Center opened for the season over the weekend, with weekend hours until school is out, then it will be open on a daily basis.  District Director Scott Baker says if parents are looking for something for their children to do, they have a lot of options available for all kinds of interests.  The entire list of options is available at the district website, nwprd.org.

Track and Field Trout Lake held off Oakesdale to win the Washington Class 1B Track and Field Championship in Cheney.  The Mustangs tallied 96 points to 93 for Oakesdale.  Hannah Funkhouser won both the 800 meters and the 1600, setting a meet record in the 1600, while Liz Fink won the shot put and was second in the javelin.  The Mustangs didn’t get a first place in the 3200 but were dominant, as Makenna Stock, Lillie Goodson, and Joanna Peck finished 2-3-4 to rack up 19 teams points in the event.  All three relay teams placed for the Mustangs, and Isabella Dean had a third and two fourths.  Glenwood’s Brooklyn Emerson had a third in the 100 meters and a sixth in the long jump.   Trout Lake finished in a tie for third in the 1B boys standings.  Micah Colburn had a second in the pole vault and fourth in the 110 meter hurdles, while Mason Stock was third in the 3200 meters.   Lyle-Wishram’s Brendan Montoya won three events in the Washington Class 2B boys’ championships.  The sophomore won the 100 meters in a time of 11.09 seconds, the 200 in 22.3 after setting a meet record of 21.87 in qualifying, and the long jump with a meet record of 23′ 7 ½”.  Montoya’s win in the long jump was by 1′ 5″.   Stevenson finished third in the Washington Class 1A boys’ meet.  Lincoln Krog led the way by winning the high jump with a leap of 6′ 4″ and finishing 2^nd in the triple jump.  Kody Campbell won the pole vault by clearing 14″ 6 ½”.  David McAndie was second in the 110 meter hurdles, and Issac Hoidal was third in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump.  Goldendale’s Dillon Rising was third in the 3200 meters, and the Columbia four-by-400 meter relay team finished fourth.  Allison Gilliam of Goldendale was fourth in the girls’ 300 meter hurdles.   Softball Oregon Class 5A Quarterfinal Marist 3, Hood River Valley 2:  An RBI triple by Ariel Carlson and two-run homer by Abbey Doerr on consecutive pitches in the third inning proved to be the difference.  HRV narrowed the margin to one run in the fourth on Hannah McNerney’s two-run homer, but the Eagles could not generate the tying run against Carlson, who pitched a two-hitter   Baseball Oregon Class 2A/1A Quarterfinal Pilot Rock 4, Sherman 2:  Quinton Orr’s three-run double put the Rockets in front as part of a four-run fifth inning.  The Huskies scored single runs in the first and seventh innings, and outhit Pilot Rock six to four.   Washington Class 1A Tennis Tournament Both Goldendale teams of John Hanna and Aiden Bothamley in boys’ doubles and Talia Johnson and Kelli Bighorn in girls’ doubles won one out of three matches.

Thursday Results Washington High School Track and Field Championships at Cheney Trout Lake’s Hannah Funkhouser won the Class 1B girls’ 1600 meters in a meet record to highlight the Mid-Columbia effort on day one of the event.  Funkhouser won the race by over 9.7 seconds, finishing in 5:14.81.  Goldendale’s Dillon Rising was second in the boys’ Class 1A 1600 meters, and Justin Peck of Trout Lake was fifth in the 1B Boys 1600 meters.  The meet continues today and tomorrow.   Friday Schedule Oregon Class 5A Softball Tournament Quarterfinal Hood River Valley at Marist, 5 p.m.:  The Eagles face the defending state champions.   Oregon Class 2A/1A Baseball Tournament Quarterfinal Sherman at Pilot Rock, 3 p.m.   Washington Class 1A Tennis Tournament at Yakima Boys Doubles First Round John Hanna/Alden Bothamley, Goldendale vs. Max Cheeseman/Jay Nearents, Okanogan   Girls Doubles First Round Talia Johnson/Kelli Bighorn, Goldendale vs. Grace Jung/Kate Jung, Cascade Christian

A 66-year-old Stevenson woman died in a trailer fire in Stevenson on Wednesday evening.  The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office says law enforcement and fire personnel were able to extricate Ella Louise Moore from the burning trailer on 241 Moore Road, and lifesaving efforts were immediately started, but Moore could not be revived and died at the scene.  Witnesses said Moore’s husband attempted to save his wife but was unable to get her out of the back bedroom.  The Clark County Fire Marshal’s office is assisting local officials in determining a cause of the fire.  Stevenson Fire, Carson Fire District, Skamania County Fire District #2, and Skamania County EMS were involved in the fire response. The fire occurred at 7:22 p.m.  The Sheriff’s Office says a neighbor called 9-1-1 to report the fire.