The Hood River County School District Board filled the vacancy left by the resignation of Mark Johnson.  Brandi Sheppard was picked to fill position 6.  She will serve through May of 2019, when the seat will be open for election once again.  The board also picked Chrissy Reitz as its new chair to replace Johnson, while Rich Truax moves up to the vice-chair position Reitz held.

Track and Field Hood River Valley’s girls had the lead with The Dalles in fourth after day one of the Columbia River Conference Championships in Hermiston.  For HRV, Josephine and Frances Dickinson finished one-two in the 3,000 meters, while Katie Kennedy won the long jump.  Kendyl Kumm of The Dalles won the pole vault.  In boys’ competition The Dalles is in second after day one with Hood River third.  The Riverhawks’ Sam Alvarez won the boys’ 3,000 meters with teammate Gabe Lira in second, and HRV’s Henry Buckles qualified for state in both the shot put and discus.  More finals will take place today.   Lyle-Wishram’s boys were third and the girls sixth at the EWAC sub-districts in Dayton.  The Cougars’ Brandon Montoya won the boys’ 100 and 200 meters and the long jump, while Elijah McCullough won both the shot and the discus.   Girls Lacrosse Hood River Valley 13, Southridge 6:  Kathryn Koenig scored five goals as the Eagles finished the regular season at 11-3, and get ready for the state playoffs beginning next week.   Girls Tennis Castle Rock 4, Columbia 1

The Union Street undercrossing in The Dalles will be closed at times until the end of next week due to a high Columbia River water levels overtopping its banks and causing water at the undercrossing to be deep enough to be hazardous to vehicles.  According to the Army Corps of Engineers, which operates Columbia River dams, the high water level of the Bonneville Pool is necessary for flood control due to recent rain and snow melt.  Union Street northbound will be closed to through traffic at the railroad tracks when necessary, and will be completely closed north of the Hattenhauer access road at 111 West First Street.  Intermittent access to Lewis and Clark Festival Park will be open as river levels allow.  Approaching the undercrossing from the west side, West First Street will be closed to through traffic at Terminal Way and will be completely closed beyond the employee access to the Oregon Cherry Growers facility.  Motorists are encouraged to use Webber Street as an alternate route to access West First Street during times the underpass is closed.

A 74-year-old Hood River woman was taken to a Vancouver hospital with injuries suffered in a fall near the overlook at Middle Falls Trail in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest on Tuesday.  According to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, Glenna Dunn was with a group of hikers that split off from their main group and proceeded on a trail currently posted as closed.  Dunn was assisting another hiker that had fallen when she slipped off the trail, sliding about 85 feet before coming to a stop.  Dunn was located by emergency personnel and transported to Pine Creek Ranger Station, and then taken by LifeFlight to Peace Health Southwest in Vancouver.  The Sheriff’s Office did not have an update on her condition.  

Baseball Pendleton 4, Hood River Valley 3:  The Eagles came back from a four-run deficit in the seventh inning, but came up a run short as the rally ended with the bases loaded.  Pendleton clinched the Columbia River Conference championship, ending HRV’s three-year hold on the title.  The Eagles will finish second and host a play-in game to reach the state tournament on May 18. Hermiston at The Dalles, suspended:  The game was scoreless in the fourth inning when a thunderstorm arrived and forced it to be stopped.  The game will resume from the point it was stopped tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.   Southwest Washington Class 1A Baseball Tournament King’s Way Christian 13, Columbia 0:  King’s Way scored eight runs in the second inning to take control.  CHS will play Tenino on Friday in a loser-out game.   SCAC Baseball Tournament Connell 7, Goldendale 3:  The Timberwolves will take on Royal at home on Friday at 4 p.m. to try to keep their season going.   Softball Pendleton 3, Hood River Valley 2:  Aspen Garton’s RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Buckaroos a third final at-bat win over the Eagles this season.  Lauren Decker gave HRV the lead in the third with a two-run double. Hermiston at The Dalles, suspended:  The Dalles led 2-0 in the top of the third when a thunderstom stopped the game.  It will resume tomorrow afternoon at 4:30. Columbia sweeps LaCenter 12-2 and 16-8:  Amanda Waldron had three hits in game one, while Keri Hylton and Grace Vaughan drove in three runs each in the nightcap. Castle Rock sweeps Stevenson 21-0 and 17-0   Southwest Washington Class 1A District Boys Soccer Tournament Columbia 3, Forks 2:  The Bruins will play Toledo in a semi-final match on Thursday.   Boys Lacrosse Oregon Episcopal 15, Hood River Valley 3

Fundraisers for the rebuild of Hood River’s Children’s Park continue to seek $35,000 more in community donations to be able to fully complete the proposed facility.  The final donations would finance a Poured-In-Place, or PIP, surface, which allows for a softer, safer, more durable and accessible playing surface for the playground.  If the budget goal is not met, an alternative ground surface would be a less expensive, less desirable chip surfacing that lacks many benefits offered by PIP, which is identified as the best option for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, and also result in long-term cost savings with lower maintenance costs.  The Children’s Park Rebuild is being financed with matching $150,000 contributions from the City of Hood River and Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District., with close to $100,000 in community donations already committed.  Tax deductible donations can be made online at gofundme.com/childrenspark, or mailed to the Hood River Rotary Foundation at P.O. Box 1187, Hood River, OR 97031.

Architectural drawings for a proposed Gorge Youth Center will be unveiled at land dedication of its location on Saturday.  ACTS International Executive Director Joe Martin says the plans incorporate areas for a café, indoor fieldhouse, running and walking track, computer lab, and auditorium.  A capital campaign is underway, as the project will not use any tax-based funding, and a steering committee is in place to lead the effort.  The property located behind Motel 6 and Coastal Farm and Ranch at Seventh and Myrtle Streets in The Dalles was donated.  The land dedication will be Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon.  A website has been established at gorgeyouthcenter.org.

The Dalles Public Works Department says discharge from the municipal wastewater treatment plant to the Columbia River has returned to compliance with permit limits for E. coli as of late Sunday afternoon.  Samples taken on Saturday throughout the day at the City discharge point to the river were within limits for each individual sample and for an average of five samples.  The delay in reading out the test results is due to the 24-hour incubation time that the test requires.  Samples taken at pre-arranged locations in the river late Saturday were also within limits for each sample.  Signs which were placed at locations of public river access on the Oregon shore of the Columbia River to warn of contaminated water have been taken down.      

With one week to go ballots have been coming in to county election offices at a slow pace.  As of Tuesday morning Hood River County reports that 16.38 percent of ballots for the May 15 primary have been returned, while in Wasco County the rate is 14.93 percent.  County election officials recommend people mail their ballots by Wednesday to ensure they return to their offices in time, otherwise use official drop box locations.  In Wasco County they are at the Courthouse in The Dalles outside the 5th Street entrance and inside the Clerk’s Office in Room 201, and at Maupin City Hall.  In Hood River County there are drop boxes at the County Administration Building on 601 State Street in Hood River and at Cascade Locks City Hall.

Southwest Washington Class 1A District Baseball Tournament First Round Columbia 6, Hoquiam 3:  The Bruins move on to a matchup with King’s Way Christian today at 4 p.m. at Castle Rock.   Girls Lacrosse Hood River Valley 11, Oregon Episcopal 10:  Abigail Bartles led the Eagles with three goals, while Katherine McElderry and Lauren Orr scored two apiece.