The Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management is seeking citizen volunteers to assist in staffing the Emergency Operations Center in Goldendale during large-scale emergencies and exercises.  Department Director Jeff King says volunteers can serve as public information officers, provide logistical support to field operations, plan for multiple-day operations, track financial activities related to the incident or event for possible future reimbursement by the Federal government, and other tasks.  Emergency Management Volunteers will be meeting one Tuesday night per month starting in January, with the first meeting scheduled for January 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center on the ground floor of the Emergency Management Building at 199 Industrial Way in Goldendale.  For more information call 509-773-0582.

The Northern Oregon Corrections Facilities board released its response to a scathing Disability Rights Oregon report on NORCOR’s Juvenile Detention Center released last week, calling DRO’s claim of the facility as inhumane “totally irresponsible.”  In a letter approved during the board’s Thursday meeting, NORCOR acknowledges there are areas of the juvenile facility that require improvement and have been changed, but they also deemed various aspects of the DRO report “exaggerated or inaccurate.”  The letter says contrary to the findings in the report, youth at NORCOR receive initial and regular screenings for self-harm behavior, those removed from group settings for unsafe or disruptive behavior have access to educational resources and mental health and medical staff, consistent family visitation is encouraged, and there is a documented 5.5 hours of education daily.  NORCOR board chair Rod Runyon thinks the facility is on the right road, noting he had talked to representatives of various counties that contract to send youth to the facility, and in one conversation told them he was “well-satisfied about our people, our staff, the director of the juvenile side, that we’re doing all the things and where we need to make corrections we’re getting them done.”  Juvenile directors in the four NORCOR counties met with administrator Bryan Brandenburg to go over changes, and the Oregon Youth Authority was to tour the center Thursday.  At the meeting, Brandenburg said an audit of the adult jail at NORCOR has passed 306 of 309 standards in an Oregon State Sheriff’s Association audit, and Sherman County Sheriff and OSSA board member Brad Lohrey said it one of the best jail audits he had ever heard.

Columbia Gorge Community College is talking with business and industry representatives about what they need the school to do to provide a trained workforce in the region.  Three CGCC board members and six faculty members have been doing site visits.  CGCC Community Outreach Director Dan Spatz says they are talking about responsive programs the college can look at for various vocational needs.  The question then becomes:  is the need in any particular area large enough to attract the number of students necessary to sustain a program?  Spatz says this will be an on-going effort, noting given the ever-changing skill needs of area businesses the college has to remain flexible.

Gilliam County Sheriff Gary Bettencourt has been tabbed by the Oregon State Sheriff”s Association as its 2017 Sheriff of the Year.  The organization cited Bettencourt for his work as a leader within that group, and for his understanding and commitment to dealing with mental health issues.  He has represented the state sheriff’s organization on numerous committees on the topic  The OSSA also noted Bettencourt for his work for injured deputies and their families, involvement with the Western States Sheriffs Association, and understanding the importance of a consolidated voice when it comes to issues with federal entities and travel management plans.

Klickitat County Commissioners met with Washington 14th District State Senator Curtis King and Representative Gina McCabe to discuss their concerns for the 2018 legislative session.  Commissioners were in particular concerned about whether a capital budget will be passed after the 2017 session failed to produce one.  The legislators indicated they expected one to pass, with King pointing out with Democrats now holding majorities in both chambers it is difficult for Republicans like himself and McCabe to able to give any kind of guarantees.  Commissioner David Sauter said the county doesn’t have any specific projects they are awaiting on capital budget funding for, but many cities and agencies in Klickitat County do.  Sauter adds the County has been backfilling funding for some programs that are typically funded by the state capital budget.  Commissioners also re-affirmed their desire for the Legislature to deal with the Hirst decision from the Washington State Supreme Court in 2016 that increased regulations on water rights.

The Dalles City Council is planning to hold a worksession on tourism, and how transient room taxes in the city get used, early in 2018.  Councilors discussed the potential formation of a tourism commission, something that came out of two prior town halls on the subject earlier this year, but instead rolled back to taking more input.  Mayor Steve Lawrence, who favors the establishment of some kind of tourism committee, says there will be active participants in the tourist industry invited to take part.  No date has been set yet for the worksession.  The City currently contracts with The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce for tourism marketing services.

Portland State University’s population estimate for the City of Hood River went up by one-and-a-half percent to 7,880, but that may be a bit low.  City Manager Steve Wheeler says they are unsure if recently annexed areas were included in that estimate, and the City is looking into that.  He adds the population data is used for planning purposes, and there is a financial element, as it a factor in state disbursement of some tax funds.  In other business, the Hood River City Council received a clean audit report for municipal government in the 2016-17 fiscal year.

Boys Basketball Hood River Valley 69, Gresham 68:  J.J. Mears scored on a driving lay-in with just over four seconds left to give the Eagles the win.  HRV came back from a nine point deficit in the fourth quarter to win its third straight game.  Erik Siekkinen led the Eagles with 15 points while Carson Flores scored 13 and Jonah Tactay 12.  Christian Turner topped Gresham with 25. The Dalles 62, Ridgeview 46:  Jacob Hernandez scored 18 points and Dakota Murr 15 as the Riverhawks snapped a two-game losing streak. Columbia 66, Lyle-Wishram 60 Washougal 82, Stevenson 73 Dufur 49, Klickitat-Glenwood 31 Sherman 62, Trinity Lutheran 48 South Wasco 40, Monument-Dayville 28 Sunnyside Christian 98, Trout Lake 38 Highland 60, Goldendale 56   Girls Basketball Hood River Valley 51, Gresham 20 Ridgeview 47, The Dalles 46 Columbia 46, Lyle-Wishram 28 Dufur 50, Klickitat-Glenwood 43 South Wasco 48, Monument-Dayville 31 Sunnyside Christian 75, Trout Lake 20

The Hood River City Council received a report from Oregon Kitchen Table out of Portland State University that gathered viewpoints on the City’s continuing affordable housing issues, with a particular focus on underrepresented community members.  City Manager Steve Wheeler says the intent of it was not meant to be a statistically valid survey, but instead seek out voices that may not get a chance to be heard.  Much of the response in the report came from the area’s Spanish-speaking community.  The report indicates the majority of people in Hood River want to see different types of housing for different income levels and life stages within the City, but also many different values and beliefs about housing issues, and that the City will need to plan with other cities and counties in the region to address the topic.  Wheeler says the information will be used by the City Council and Planning Commission as background material for housing issues.

The gas tax increase approved by the 2017 Oregon Legislature as part of a state-wide transportation package should help Wasco County’s road program.  Arthur Smith of Wasco County Public Works says the County in the last two years has been able to increase the pace of pavement maintenance to 30 miles per year, and will be able to sustain that with the new transportation funding along with addressing gravel roads, adding it will take time.  Smith says there are major road projects identified in a 2009 transportation system plan update that the County has not had the resources to take on, and he says they would like to begin to address those, but that probably will not happen for a few more years.  The state’s gas tax goes up by four cents in 2018, and will increase incrementally by ten cents over the next eight years.