Skyline Hospital in White Salmon is in the design phase for renovation of its emergency department as a capital campaign continues to round out funding for it.  Skyline CEO Robb Kimmes says they hope to start construction a year from now.  The project will cost seven million dollars, with five million dollars available through the recent refinancing of bonds at lower interest rates, and the Skyline Foundation in the midst of the fundraising effort to get the rest.  About $120,000 of that has been raised so far, with an expectation of receiving a substantial amount through state grants.

Former Columbia Gorge Community College President Dr. Frank Toda has received a lifetime achievement award from the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.  Toda received the Michael Bennett Lifetime Achievement Award for retiring college presidents who provided consistently outstanding support to Phi Theta Kappa chapters and advisors.  CGCC’s Alpha Sigma Xi Chapter of the society nominated Toda for the award.  Toda will be one of thirteen retiring presidents who will be honored at the annual Phi Theta Kappa convention in Kansas City, as the society celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Oregon Class 5-A Boys Basketball Play-In Sandy 66, Hood River Valley 51:  The Eagles led by three with six minutes to play, but the Pioneers went on a big run to pull away and advance to the state tournament.  Sandy sophomore Pierce Roeder scored 32 points to lead the Pioneers to the win.  Carson Flores scored 11 points and Noah Webster 10 to lead HRV.    

A four-year-old boy has died after being found in the middle of a frozen-over pond in Maupin.  The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies on Monday afternoon were dispatched to a call of a possible drowning of a child.  A deputy was able to locate and extract the child from the middle of a frozen over pond and immediately started CPR.  The boy was taken by LifeFlight to St. Charles Hospital in Bend where efforts were made to save his life, but the Sheriff’s Office says he was pronounced deceased that evening.  The Sheriff’s Office says there are no indications of foul play and this appears to be a tragic accident.  The name of the child and family is being withheld pending notification of extended family.

The White Salmon Valley School District is beginning preliminary work on a bond measure planned for next year.  District Superintendent Jerry Lewis says they are looking at various possible projects to begin to prioritize for a February 2019 bond measure.  The district has a four-to-five million dollar bond coming off the books, and Lewis says while that’s not a large amount for that kind of measure replacing it will allow the district to take on projects that have been considered for some time.

Fundraising for reconstruction of Hood River’s Children’s Park is continuing.  City Councilor Megan Saunders says they are looking to raise over $100,000 from the community to augment a total of $300,000 budgeted by the City and the Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District.  Saunders says they have $42,000 of the community fundraising so far as they try to head toward having the park ready for summer.  To learn how you can donate to the Children’s Park effort or volunteer to help in its construction, go to the City of Hood River website…cityofhoodriver.com.

Milwaukie 35, Hood River Valley 33:  The Eagles came back from a 14-point third quarter deficit to pull as close as one point, but could never get the go-ahead basket.  India Gultry led the Mustangs with 17 points, while Haylee Baker scored ten points and Lauren Orr 9 for HRV.

Tensions between The Dalles City Councilor Darcy Long-Curtiss and some other members of the Council and Mayor Steve Lawrence bubbled to the surface on Monday night as an open hearing on complaints against her took place, but in the end there was no motion made to attempt any sort of sanction.  Councilor Taner Elliott opened the proceeding in front of a crowd in the Council Chambers of mostly Long-Curtiss supporters, saying she had made statements on social media and to The Dalles Chronicle in a front page story in the publication’s February 16 edition that violated Council rules.  Long-Curtiss, who said she had little advance notice to prepare a statement, said she didn’t express her opinions to be antagonistic or mean, but also said the process has made her worried about what she can and can’t say, adding Lawrence had called her to a meeting on February 13 that was supposed to be about homelesseness, but when she arrived City human resources director Daniel Hunter was also there and the meeting was about her statements.  Lawrence later said he had e-mailed her twice before about having such a meeting but she did not reply, to which Long-Curtiss said she had been sick.  Long-Curtiss’ lawyer, Bradley Timmons, said his client had not violated any Council rules and the process needed to be stopped, and Council legal counsel Gene Parker said he had been advised by the Council’s insurance attorney to “tread cautiously.”  Councilor Tim McGlothlin said he felt the Council’s rules of conduct needed another level to address internal squabbles with some dialogue with a third party present, noting he feared a loss of confidence in the Council from citizens on both sides unless cooler heads prevail.

Hood River City Councilors approved an agreement with City Manager Steve Wheeler to allow him to continue on in his position as an independent contractor after his retirement becomes official on Thursday while the City conducts a search for his successor.  Mayor Paul Blackburn says it’s a good deal for the City.  Wheeler says he expects to remain on the job into the summer.  A Council sub-committee will be sorting through nine applications from firms who want to conduct Hood River’s City Manager search, and expect to recommend a firm to the full Council on March 26.

Washington 14th District Representative Gina McCabe says she voted for the bill that sets up a separate process for legislators outside of the state’s voter-approved Public Records Act, saying she is worried about protecting the privacy of the constituents she communicates with.  McCabe says she wants constituents to feel free to be able to communicate with her on sensitive topics like sexual abuse and whistleblower issues without being concerned about publicity.  Legislative leaders from both parties passed the bill in a matter of days last week in response to a Thurston County judge ruling in January legislative leaders had violated the open-records act when challenged by a number of news organizations, and that is currently under appeal.  The bill that was approved by a substantial majority of legislators will make some legislative records public like lawmakers’ calendars and e-mail exchanges with registered lobbyists created after July 1.