The Hood River County Commission discussed the first draft of a proposed two percent limited sales tax ballot measure to avoid major budget cuts at a worksession on Monday.  Much of the discussion centered on exemptions.  Prescription drug, fuel, and grocery purchases will be exempted, with much of the discussion surrounding how far to go with exemptions on agricultural supplies, recreation, and construction supplies.  County Administrator Jeff Hecksel said two keys were equity and ease of administration, which becomes more difficult as exemptions are considered.  Commission Chair Ron Rivers says it’s a difficult balancing act, but also believes they are on the right path, adding he hopes people look at the County’s needs now and in the future that require new revenue sources.  County legal counsel Lisa Knight Davies will be making revisions to the proposed ordinance, and the Commission will meet again early next week to continue the discussion.  A public hearing is planned for February 5, as the Commission considers whether to put the sales tax question on the May ballot.

With an interim arrangement to have the state building codes division handle building permits in Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, and Wheeler counties now in place, attention now turns to developing a long-term solution.  Mid-Columbia Council of Governments had handled building codes issues for those counties, but that organization is being dismantled.  County Commissioner Rod Runyon says it would take some time to determine if it is feasible for the County to do it on their own.  Runyon believes the main thing is to make sure there is a local location for contractors to get their permits and inspections taken care of.  The County is leasing the state office space in the Wasco County Planning and Public Works building on Highway 30 in The Dalles.

Washington 14th District Representative Norm Johnson says he’s happy with the compromises that led to approval of a $4.2 billion capital budget last week, noting the district will benefit from a number of projects that received funding.  Johnson thinks the entire state will benefit from both the capital budget and the so-called Hirst fix that addresses a state Supreme Court decision on domestic wells in rural areas.  Johnson says the capital budget includes about 50 million dollars for projects within District 14, including a fire station in Lyle, an expansion of the Goldendale Observatory, and a museum in Bickleton.

Time is running out to return ballots in Oregon in the vote asking Oregonians whether they approve of assessments on hospitals, health insurers and managed care companies that would leave Medicaid as it is now in the state untouched.  The deadline to return Measure 101 ballots is Tuesday at 8 p.m.  County election officials recommend at this point voters take their ballots directly to official drop boxes.  In Wasco County those are at the County Courthouse in The Dalles and Maupin City Hall.  In Hood River County they are located at the Hood River County Administration Building and Cascade Locks City Hall.

The Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals has affirmed a City of Hood River decision to rezone Morrison Park at 20th and Wasco from open space/public facilities to high-density residential development.  The City Council approved the rezoning in May of last year.  An appeal to LUBA claimed a pair of errors by the City in that decision.  One argued allowing the rezoning violated a municipal land use goal calling for parks to be protected from incompatible uses, and that the City’s housing strategy used as a basis for the Council decision was not a part of the comprehensive plan and could not be relied on in that decision.  But in a final opinion and order issued by LUBA on Friday, those arguments were denied, and the City’s decision affirmed.   Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation has begun planning work for an affordable housing project on the site.

The Washington State House Health Care and Wellness Committee heard testimony on a bill sponsored by 14th District Representative Gina McCabe to require doctors to warn patients about the risks of opioid use.  McCabe told the panel the bill is asking doctors to give patients a choice.  The bill, dubbed “Jeremy’s Law,” would require health care practitioners to discuss dependency and overdose risks as well as provide pain management alternatives to opioids when prescribing them to a patient for the first time.  The bill’s namesake, Jeremy Wolfe, testified in support of the bill.  Wolfe was 14 when he was first prescribed OxyContin and Vicodin for his knee injury, and then became addicted and eventually tried heroin, overdosing twice and nearly dying.  The bill has not yet been scheduled for a vote in the committee.

The effort to rebuild the Children’s Park in Hood River is reaching a new stage with active fundraising of the final 100-thousand dollars needed to complete the project.  The City of Hood River and Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District are each providing $150,000 to both modernize and expand the park.  City Manager Steve Wheeler says the goal is to complete the fundraising by mid-March to get the park ready for this summer.  The fundraising includes various levels that would allow donors to sponsor elements of the park.  For information on how to donate to the Hood River Children’s Park, go to the City website.  The Hood River Rotary Foundation is coordinating the fundraising effort.

Boys Basketball Hermiston 78, The Dalles 61 Dufur 53, South Wasco 23 Dufur 78, Mitchell-Spray 31 Arlington 66, South Wasco 38 Sherman 73, Horizon Christian 51 Sherman 72, Ione 26 Horizon Christian 64, Condon-Wheeler 58 Trout Lake 63, Bickleton 21 Yakama Tribal 81, Trout Lake 49 Yakama Tribal 89, Klickitat-Glenwood 38 Sunnyside Christian 88, Lyle-Wishram 46 LaSalle 72, Goldendale 32 Zillah 81, Goldendale 51   Girls Basketball Hermiston 76, The Dalles 44 Columbia 54, Castle Rock 48 LaCenter 78, Stevenson 29 South Wasco 53, Dufur 39 Dufur 50, Mitchell-Spray 18 Sherman 44, Horizon Christian 40 Ione 60, Sherman 56 Horizon Christian 62, Condon-Wheeler 50 Yakama Tribal 55, Klickitat-Glenwood 24 Yakama Tribal 66, Trout Lake 25 Sunnyside Christian 74, Lyle-Wishram 11 LaSalle 66, Goldendale 27 Zillah 77, Goldendale 14   Wrestling Hood River Valley was sixth and The Dalles ninth in the boys’ portion of the Hood River Elks Invitational, as Thurston won the team title.  HRV’s Jason Shaner and Adrian Ramirez won their weight classes, while Ryan Zeller and Chad Muenzer finished second.  J.R. Scott won in his weight class for The Dalles.   In the girls’ half of the Elks Invitational…Thurston held off Hood River Valley for the team title while Columbia was fourth.  Elena Kroll, Christine Marquez, and Grace Miller earned first place finishes for Hood River, while Amanda Waldron and Hailey Johnson did the same for Columbia.   Dual Matches Boys:  Hood River Valley 47, Bend 33 Girls:  Hood River Valley 36, Bend 18   Swimming Hood River Valley’s girls were second and boys sixth while The Dalles’ girls finished eighth and boys ninth in the HRV Invitational at the Hood River Aquatic Center.  HRV’s girls won the 400 yard freestyle relay, while the HRV boys won the 200 medley relay, and the Eagles’ Chad Klaas won both the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly.  LaGrande won the girls’ team title and Hermiston was first in the boys’ competition.   Nordic Skiing Hood River Valley’s boys and girls both finished third in their Northern League races at Mt. Hood Meadows.  Finn Peterson finished fifth for the HRV boys, while Josephine Dickinson was tenth for the Eagle girls.

A Utah man was taken into custody after a high speed pursuit in Sherman and Wasco counties that eventually resulted in a Wasco County Sheriff’s Deputy firing several rounds at the vehicle before it came to a stop and the driver taken into custody.  According to the Oregon State Police, an OSP trooper attempted to stop a pickup for speeding on westbound Interstate 84 near milepost 109 in Sherman County on Thursday afternoon, and there were two more attempts to stop the vehicle in Sherman and Wasco counties.  Nearly an hour after the first attempted stop a Wasco County deputy located the vehicle at a residence just off Highway 197 about 4 miles south of Tygh Valley.  As the vehicle attempted to reenter the highway the deputy fired several rounds at the vehicle with his sidearm.  The vehicle came to a stop and the driver was taken into custody without further incident.  30-year-old Rudi Foki Paea Fifita of West Jordan, Utah was lodged at NORCOR on numerous charges.  A 23-year-old woman and their one-year-old son were also in the vehicle.  No one was injured in the incident.  The Wasco County District Attorney’s office tabbed the Oregon State Police to head the investigation.

Chrissy Reitz of Hood River announced her candidacy for the District 26 seat in the Oregon State Senate.  Reitz, who is a member of the Hood River County School Board and former neonatal intensive care nurse who founded the Gorge Kids Triathlon, is seeking the Democratic nomination.  In describing her reasons for running, Reitz said education is the key to opportunity, and Oregon families deserve good paying jobs and access to quality, affordable health care.  Republican Chuck Thomsen of Parkdale currently holds the Senate District 26 position.  The district includes Hood River County along with Sandy and parts of East Multnomah County and Clackamas County.