The Hood River City Council will be discussing finding a new municipal judge at their Monday meeting.  Long-time municipal court judge Will Carey passed away earlier in the month.  Mayor Paul Blackburn says they will be casting a wide net to fill the position.  The City is also beginning the process of finding a new City Manager after Steve Wheeler recently announced his retirement.  Wheeler actually officially retires on Wednesday. but will remain in his position in a contractual arrangement through the summer while the City works on selecting his successor.

Klickitat County Commissioners are doing some preliminary research into what it would take to purchase the Simcoe Mountains, and whether it would be in the County’s best interest to do so.  Commissioner Jim Sizemore says the mountains are currently owned by two private landholders.  Sizemore says the Simcoes have been heavily logged so it has not attracted other private interests, and the County feels if a government entity is going to purchase the land it should be done locally.  Sizemore says that way while government doesn’t have to pay property taxes, Klickitat County could take timber revenue money and keep the taxing districts involved whole.

Oregon Class 1A Boys Basketball Second Round Sherman 75, Grand View Christian Academy 40:  The Huskies reach the final eight of the tournament in Baker City.  Sherman will meet Prairie City in a quarter-final game on Thursday at 8:15 p.m.   Oregon Class 1A Girls Basketball Second Round Hosanna Christian 37, South Wasco 24   Oregon Class 5A Girls Basketball Play-In Tuesday Hood River Valley at Milwaukie, time TBA   Oregon Class 5A Boys Basketball Play-In Wednesday Hood River Valley at Sandy, 7 p.m.   Oregon State Nordic Ski Championships at Mt. Bachelor Hood River Valley finished sixth in the boys’ competition and eighth in the girls’ standings at the Oregon State Nordic Ski Championships at Mt. Bachelor.  The Eagle boys were fourth in the varsity relay.

White Salmon Valley School District two-hour delay. South Wasco County School District two-hour delay.   Mid-Columbia Children’s Council Maupin Head Start two-hour delay. White Salmon Head Start and Early Head Start two-hour delay.  

The Oregon State Police is trying to identify a red pickup that was involved in a motor vehicle accident Wednesday morning on Interstate 84 near milepost 88 just west of The Dalles Dam.  According to the OSP, a preliminary investigation into the 9:30 a.m. accident revealed a Dodge Ram pickup truck lost control on the icy roadway, struck the guardrail, and came to rest in the right lane of travel.  The unknown red pickup with a canopy approached the crash location and the driver applied the brakes, but was unable to avoid colliding with the Dodge Ram.  After impact, the red pickup pulled to the side of the freeway briefly before leaving without exchanging information.  It should have damage to the passenger side tail light.  Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has information pertaining to it are asked to call the OSP dispatch center at 503-731-3020 or *OSP and refer to case number SP18-066123.

As the Hood River County School District works on its budgets for the 2018-19 school year, two plans are being developed.  District Superintendent Dan Goldman says one budget is based on renewal of the district’s local option levy that is on the May ballot, and one if it is not renewed.  Goldman says without the local option, class sizes would go up, and areas that would be reduced without the local option include extracurricular activities and topics that have been added back to the district budget in the last couple of years like middle school foreign language and elementary physical education, music, and counselors.  The first meeting of the district budget committee is set for May 29, two weeks after the vote on the local option.

The search for a new president for Columbia Gorge Community College is progressing.  CGCC community outreach director Dan Spatz says a search committee has narrowed down a list of 44 applicants down to ten to present to the College Board of Education in early March, and then the finalists will brought in for interviews.  Spatz says the College Board is also developing the process for bringing in finalists, with the intention to introduce the finalists to the college community.

Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington have set spring Chinook salmon seasons for the Columbia River.  The lower Columbia River recreational spring Chinook season will take place from Thursday, March 1 through Saturday, April 7 from Buoy 10 upstream to Beacon Rock, plus bank angling from Beacon Rock upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline.  Above Bonneville Dam, the recreational Chinook season was set for Friday, March 16 through Monday, May 7, with the open area extending from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Oregon and Washington border above McNary Dam.  Only bank angling is allowed from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Tower Island powerlines.  The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has set regulations for the spring Chinook fisheries on the Deschutes and Hood rivers, with both set to open on April 15.  Last year, there was no season on the Deschutes due to poor returns of both hatchery and wild fish.  This year, fish managers are predicting as many as 7,600 hatchery fish will return to the Deschutes, which is substantially larger than last year.  But with numbers of wild fish returning predicted to remain extremely low, a reduced bag limit and conservative regulations will be in place to protect their numbers.

The Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency voted to approve entering into an exclusive negotiating agreement with GBHD, LLC on the possible construction of a hotel on First and Union in downtown The Dalles.  The agreement had been initially approved at a January 30 meeting by a 3-2 vote, but City Attorney Gene Parker advised the panel he interpreted Oregon law as requiring a majority of the nine members of the board for an affirmative vote.  This vote was 6-2, with Linda Miller and John Fredrick opposing, and Taner Elliott absent.  Under the agreement, GBHD and the agency will have 120 days to negotiate a Development and Disposition Agreement, with the potential for two 120-day extensions.  GBHD is represented by local businessman Michael Leash, who earlier negotiated with the City and Urban Renewal in an attempt to locate a hotel in the Granada block.  GBHD has requested one million dollars in assistance from Urban Renewal, including transference of the agency-owned parking lot at First and Court, a demolition grant, credit for systems development charges, permits, and fees, and other development costs.

Hood River County Commissioners decided they won’t put a proposed two percent sales tax measure to voters in May.  The County heard more testimony on the subject in front of a standing room only gathering Tuesday evening at the Hood River Valley Adult Center.  County officials are dealing with a projected one-point-six million dollar shortfall in their 2018-19 budget.  Commission Chair Ron Rivers said he felt the panel had their work cut out for them, but also felt after hearing input from the public, the community will be there for them.  Rivers noted the Commission has decided to have a worksession the first Monday of every month devoted to discussing potential budget problems and solutions.  Rivers says the Commission still wants to present some kind of solution for voters in November, but they need more time and community involvement.