Two people were taken to Mid-Columbia Medical Center after a report of a shooting in the 2440 block of Badger View Drive southwest of The Dalles.  According to the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and Oregon State Police responded to a call just before noon on Monday of a 51-year-old woman having been shot.  When law enforcement arrived, the woman was found and treated by Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue personnel.  They were told her 49-year-old brother had unintentionally shot her in the leg, and he was having a medical issue when the shooting occurred.  Both were transported to the hospital for non-life threatening conditions.  The incident is under investigation by the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office.

The Dalles City Council approved giving $25,000 to Central Oregon Animal Friends to help that group’s proposed merger with Home At Last Humane Society to move forward.  The organization that runs two animal shelters in the Madras area would take over the Home At Last facility in The Dalles under a merger City Manager Julie Krueger told the Council was signed on Friday.   Mayor Steve Lawrence and other City and Wasco County officials have been involved in discussions to find a solution to Home At Last’s fiscal problems over the last couple of months, and he believes the merger was the best option for the community.  The City’s contribution is dependent on a match by Wasco County, and would be used to recreate an appropriate reserve for the shelter.  In other business, the Council approved agreements with TacAero as fixed base operator and Chuck Covert for management at the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport, which also must go through the Klickitat County Commission.  And a five-year enterprise zone agreement with Bearing Point Holdings, which plans to construct a Holiday Inn Express on West 6^th Street, was also approved and now goes to the Wasco County Commission.

The Hood River City Council approved a plan to accelerate an odor control project at the municipal wastewater treatment plan.  Under the plan up to $469,000 in Waterfront Urban Renewal district funding will be used for the project, with the City itself planning to expend $311,000.  City Manager Steve Wheeler says the project was in the 2013 Sewer Master Plan, and moved up in priority after there were more complaints than ever this summer about odors from the plant.  In other business, the Council approved a contract with Crestline Construction to do a water pressure project in the Serpentine area.

The Washington Legislature convened for its 60-day session on Monday, and for the 14th District’s two representatives in the House, there are new roles.  Gina McCabe is now the lead Republican on the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee.  The committee considers issues relating to unemployment compensation, collective bargaining, family leave, safety and health standards, and employment standards, such as wage laws and employment discrimination.  McCabe is also the assistant ranking Republican on the House Community Development, Housing and Tribal Affairs Committee, and serves on the House Business and Financial Services Committee.  Norm Johnson has been appointed to the House State Government, Elections and Information Technology Committee.  It considers issues relating to state government, including state agency rulemaking, procurement standards, information technology systems and security, performance audits and public employment.  Johnson also serves on the Education and Rules committees.

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley will hold town hall meetings in Cascade Locks and Dufur on Sunday.  Merkley will be at the Dufur School cafeteria on Sunday at 1 p.m.  Then he moves on to the Cascade Locks Elementary School gym for another session at 4 p.m.  Merkley says he will update constituents on his work in Washington, D.C., answer questions and invite suggestions.

The Hood River County Commission is planning a public hearing on whether a proposed two percent sales tax should go to the May ballot on February 5.  County Administrator Jeff Hecksel says the February 5 session will be part of a special Commission meeting in the County Administration Building at 6 p.m., with plans to continue it at the panel’s regular February 20 meeting.  Hecksel says there will be a fully-fleshed out proposal for the hearing, with a worksession planned for January 22.  County Commissioners have been warning that without a source to increase revenues, the County will have make significant cuts to the 2018-19 budget.  For that reason, Commissioners told staff to continue researching the concept, even though a survey commissioned by the County did not indicate support for the plan by citizens.

Columbia Gorge Community College has embarked on a survey to assess the potential demand for student housing on the college’s campus in The Dalles.  CGCC community outreach manager Dan Spatz says the school is contracting with a private consultant to study the economic feasibility of on-campus housing.  The City of The Dalles is partnering with the college on this effort.  People can take part in the survey through January 19 by going online to cgcc.edu.

The Port of Hood River has hired former Port of Newport General Manager Kevin Greenwood as the director for the Hood River/White Salmon Bridge Replacement Project.  Greenwood started on the job last week, and will present his first project update to the Port Commission at their meeting Tuesday.  Greenwood takes on a new staff position at the Port of Hood River, with the responsibility to play a lead role in efforts to replace the aging Interstate Bridge.  The Oregon Department of Transportation recently committed five million dollars to the Port for bridge replacement planning efforts, primarily focused on the completion of the required Final Environmental Impact Statement which will require participation and collaboration from federal, state, regional and local authorities.  On January 18 a panel of experts will be brought together for a special work session of the Port Commission, exploring public-private partnership funding models, federal requirements for project permitting and funding, typical timelines and processes, as well as other aspects of the bridge replacement project.  That meeting will be at 1:30 p.m. in the Port’s Marina Center conference room.

Construction crews are back at the location of a big rockfall along the Historic Columbia River Highway just east of Rowena Crest.  They will be installing a steel screen to prevent the kind of rock slide that happened last spring, putting motorists at risk and forcing a closure of the highway.  Workers from Rock Supremacy of Bend will begin the installation process Tuesday, under a $176,000 contract with the Oregon Department of Transportation to cover the problem rock face with steel mesh.  Traffic will be prohibited in the area while work is underway.  The crews expect to be finished by January 19.

Boys Basketball Woodburn 62, Hood River Valley 40 Stevenson 90, Castle Rock 74 Columbia 66, Seton Catholic 64 Arlington 41, Horizon Christian 36 Horizon Christian 51, Dufur 47 Sherman 87, Mitchell-Spray 19 Condon-Wheeler 69, South Wasco 44 Trout Lake 70, Bickleton 39 Trout Lake 68, Klickitat-Glenwood 43 Yakama Tribal 84, Klickitat-Glenwood 38 Sunnyside Christian 82, Lyle-Wishram 38 Lyle-Wishram 60, Bickleton 31 Naches Valley 81, Goldendale 38   Girls Basketball LaGrande 54, The Dalles 43:  Camryn Collman 25 points to lead LaGrande.  Jodi Thomasian scored 15 points and Bailey LeBreton 13 for the Riverhawks. Stevenson 62, Castle Rock 47 Columbia 42, Seton Catholic 26 Horizon Christian 52, Arlington 19 Horizon Christian 42, Dufur 38 Sherman 50, Mitchell-Spray 23 South Wasco 69, Condon-Wheeler 25 Klickitat-Glenwood 67, Yakama Tribal 39 Trout Lake 60, Klickitat-Glenwood 40 Sunnyside Christian 77, Lyle-Wishram 17 Naches Valley 62, Goldendale 40   Wrestling Hood River Valley finished seventh and The Dalles 12^th at the Don York Tournament at Cleveland High School in Portland.  HRV’s Jason Shaner won at 138 pounds while teammates Chad Muenzer at 132 and Adrian Ramirez at 285 had second place finishes.  Glenn Breckterfield and Michael Parrish had fifth place finishes for The Dalles.   Girls Wrestling Hood River Valley was tenth and Columbia 35^th at the 84-school Kelso Tournament.   Grace Miller led HRV with a second place finish at 140 pounds, while Hailey Johnson was sixth at 110 for Columbia.