Track and Field The Dalles earned four first place finishes at the Sherwood Opener meet. Justin Conklin won the boys’ 110 meter hurdles, Philip Dunagan was first in the boys’ discus, Kimberly Bobadilla won the girls’ triple jump, and Hanna Ziegenhagen earned a first place finish in the girls’ 800. Stevenson’s boys won a three-way Trico League meet over LaCenter and Castle Rock. Three Bulldogs won two events: Lincoln Krog in the 100 meters and the high jump, Issac Hoidal in the long jump and triple jump, and David McAndie swept the hurdles races. Stevenson’s girls were second to LaCenter, as Kaitlyn Rathgeber won both the triple jump and 800 meters.

A two-year-old male cougar that travelled all the way into downtown The Dalles and into a hotel complex was euthanized Tuesday morning after wildlife managers determined it was a public safety risk.  The animal was in a room under construction at the Oregon Motor Motel. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel secured the cougar in a small room, accessed it through a vent in the wall, and sedated the animal with drugs administered via dart gun, and then transported the cougar off-site and euthanized it in a safe location.  A Facebook post seen by ODFW staff indicated the cougar had been spotted at the same location Sunday evening.  Cougar sightings are not uncommon in the outskirts of The Dalles, but ODFW district wildlife biologist Jeremy Thompson said a cougar coming into downtown and not showing fear of people or wariness of urban environments is extremely odd, noting it may have been unable to establish its own home range in its natural habitat.  Thompson added given this behavior, it was deemed a public safety risk not suitable for relocation.  According to ODFW’s current records, the incident marks the sixth time in 2018 that a cougar has been euthanized due to public safety concerns.

Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation will hold a community meeting Thursday on progress on the affordable housing project planned in Hood River on the Morrison Park property.  Joel Madsen of Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation says since their last meeting in early January, the project’s development team has been refining their efforts, looking at the strengths of the site itself and doing pricing scenarios with the contractor that is now on board.  Madsen adds that is being juggled with the community’s goal for sustainably designed buildings.  The project looks to build approximately 65 units for households earning less than 80 percent of area median income, with most targeting those under the 60 percent mark.  Thursday’s meeting is at 6 p.m. in the Waucoma Building.  

The Port of Hood River opened a hearing Tuesday on the proposed administrative rules for accepting proposals relating to the replacement of the Interstate Bridge, and only one person testified.  The rest of the Port Commission meeting had been cancelled due to a lack of a quorum, and only one person testified on the rules.  The rules are required by the state as the Port considers a public-private partnership to replace the bridge.  The hearing will continue on May 1 at 5 p.m. at the Port Marina Center conference room.

Baseball Sandy 4, Hood River Valley 2:  The Eagles could not come back after Sandy scored three runs in the fourth inning.  Greyson Losee drove in both HRV runs with a two-run single in the fifth. Ridgeview 5, The Dalles 4:  The Riverhawks made the most out of just one hit, but fell just short in the game in Central Oregon. Columbia 7, Stanfield 6 Weston McEwen 10, Dufur 6 Sherman 11, Union/Cove 0 Goldendale sweeps White Swan 14-0 and 20-2   Softball Hood River Valley 10, Sandy 0:  Makenzie Chambers and Lizzie Weekly homered while Hannah McNerney pitched a one-hitter to lead the Eagles to their fourth straight win to begin the season. The Dalles 25, Redmond 3 Washougal 13, Columbia 9   Boys Soccer Columbia 6, Seton Catholic 1 Toledo 7, Stevenson 0   Boys Tennis Hood River Valley 8, Sandy 0   Girls Lacrosse Hood River Valley 15, Lakeridge 10

The Hood River County Commission decided to continue to April 2 the hearing on the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals remand of Apollo Land Holdings’ application to construct a hotel on the former Dee Mill site as part of the DeeTour project.  The County Commission had approved the application a year ago after the County Planning Commission denied it, but the Hood River Valley Residents Committee appealed to LUBA, which sent it back to the County after ruling there were three assignments of error in the final decision.  Commission Chair Ron Rivers said the panel received 150 pages of material from the various parties in the remand, and needed time to digest it.  Under the remand, the County must determine if a new reasons exception is needed to allow the hotel on the land zoned M-1 Industrial, if it is an allowed use given the M-1 zone and the original exception for the Dee Mill, and if the septic system proposed for the hotel violates a Comprehensive Land Use Plan goal restricting public sewer systems being extended outside of an unincorporated community.  The County did allow the application to be modified to drop the size of the hotel from 50 rooms to 27.  

The cities of Bingen and White Salmon, Klickitat County Solid Waste, and Republic Services are discussing steps that can be taken to keep the recycling drop-off site in Bingen open.  The site has been beset by illegal dumping and scavengers.  Bingen Mayor Betty Barnes says securing the site is a big part of the discussions, including both fencing and cameras.  Barnes notes scavenging has scared some users and generated complaints, so police have increased patrols around the site and signs have been posted to more clearly state what can be left at the site.

The Hood River County School District is heading into a phase of construction after two years of designing projects approved by voters in a bond measure two years ago.  Superintendent Dan Goldman says construction of a new May Street Elementary School is the most visible project.  Also getting underway is a renovation of the 100-year-old Coe Primary Building for administration and alternative school use.  Renovations of Mid-Valley Elementary will begin this summer as will a roofing project at Hood River Valley High School and installation of a new track and field-turf at Henderson Stadium, along with security upgrades at all schools.

The Goldendale Police Department has announced it is sending charges to the Klickitat County Prosecutor against two male juveniles accused of burglarizing the Easy Outlaw Skate Shop last week. The juveniles are from the Wapato and White Swan area, and they police are seeking arrest warrants for the pair. In a press release on its Facebook page, the department says the juveniles caused damage to the building, and it is also estimated the amount of stolen property could exceed $10,000. Goldendale Police also indicated it is working on another burglary believed to have been committed by the same pair.

An Arizona couple died in a three-vehicle accident in Sherman County on Friday afternoon.  The Oregon State Police says the accident happened at around 2:15 p.m. on Highway 97.  A preliminary investigation revealed a station wagon driven by 58-year-old Masiel Pete of Maricopa, Arizona, was southbound when he lost control on a slush covered roadway.  Pete’s vehicle crossed into the northbound lanes where he sideswiped a commercial motor vehicle that was pulling a box trailer driven by 51-year-old Cary William Pickner of Eagle Creek.  After sideswiping the truck, Pete was struck broadside by a northbound pickup driven by 25-year-old Anthony Guerrero De La Paz of Moses Lake.  Pete and his passenger, 50-year-old Debra Mary Grosbusch of Maricopa, were pronounced deceased at the scene.  Pickner, De La Paz, and De La Paz’s passenger, 20-year-old Rachel Nicole Tapparo of LaVerne, California, were transported via ground ambulance to Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles, where they were treated for non-life threatening injuries.  Speed and road conditions are being considered as possible contributing factors in the crash.