The Dalles Police Department says a 9-1-1 call Monday morning claiming a fourth grader at Dry Hollow Elementary School had a gun was a hoax and the caller was a student at Chenoweth Elementary.  According to a joint statement by North Wasco County School District 21 and the police department, the initial call came at about 9:13 a.m.  Dry Hollow was placed in lockdown per protocol at that time, with 26 officers from The Dalles Police, Oregon State Police, and Wasco County Sheriff’s Office responding.  But 25 minutes later, based on multiple calls from the same caller to 9-1-1, it was discovered the calls were coming from the area of Chenoweth Elementary.  At about 9:50 law enforcement located and identified the caller, determined the calls were a hoax, and that there was no threat to any D-21 school.  Police did state misuse of 9-1-1 and initiating a false police report are crimes that they take seriously and are thoroughly investigated.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is monitoring reports of cougar activity close to The Dalles city limits.  ODFW says cougars that are seen repeatedly in town during daylight hours, or that are known to kill pets or livestock close to residences, are considered a safety risk.  Residents who see a cougar in town are urged to immediately call ODFW’s local office during regular business hours at 541-296-4628, or The Dalles Police Department after hours.  ODFW also says it’s a good idea to feed your pets indoors and keep them inside at night in areas where there is cougar activity.  ODFW has tips on living with cougars available online at its website.

North Wasco County School District 21 officials are examining how much damage was suffered when a broken gasket in the sprinkler system forced closure of The Dalles Middle School gymnasium.  The break occurred on Friday afternoon.  D-21 Superintendent Candy Armstrong says the district’s facilities personnel is looking over the situation, noting they think the break occurred when a ball hit a sprinkler head.  The Dalles Middle School gym has been closed to all activities and events until further notice. 

Boys Basketball

Redmond 49, Hood River Valley 39

Pendleton 83, The Dalles 59

South Wasco 55, Ione 49

South Wasco 63, Echo 21

Dufur 62, Echo 18

Ione 58, Dufur 34

Condon-Wheeler 55, Sherman 50

Mitchell-Spray 55, Sherman 45

Yakama Tribal 93, Trout Lake 43

Sunnyside Christian 72, Klickitat-Glenwood 27

White Swan 74, Lyle-Wishram 17

Kittitas 81, Lyle-Wishram 16

Naches Valley 62, Goldendale 47

LaSalle (Yakima) 102, Goldendale 29

 

Girls Basketball

Redmond 54, Hood River Valley 33

The Dalles 37, Pendleton 32

LaCenter 67, Columbia 44

Stevenson 54, Castle Rock 22

Ione 59, South Wasco 53

Echo 74, South Wasco 36

Dufur 41, Echo 30

Ione 47, Dufur 36

Condon-Wheeler 41, Sherman 31

Sherman 55, Mitchell-Spray 30

Trout Lake 72, Klickitat-Glenwood 42

Trout Lake 58, Yakama Tribal 53

Sunnyside Christian 63, Klickitat-Glenwood 18

White Swan 68, Lyle-Wishram 31

Kittitas 59, Lyle-Wishram 42

Naches Valley 60, Goldendale 40

LaSalle (Yakima) 69, Goldendale 16

 

Wrestling

Hood River Valley 58, The Dalles 14:  HRV used six wins by fall to cruise to the Intermountain Conference dual match win.

 

Swimming

Both The Dalles’ boys and girls teams finished third at the LaGrande Invitational.  The Riverhawks’ boys 400 yard freestyle relay took home a first place finish.

North Wasco County School District 21 has confirmed there was a lockdown Monday morning at Dry Hollow Elementary School because of a report of a student with a gun, but law enforcement determined the report was false, and the lockdown was lifted within minutes.  A statement from D-21 said staff and students are safe.  According to the statement, 9-1-1 dispatchers received a call at about 9:13 a.m. that there was a student at Dry Hollow who had a gun.  The school followed its lockdown protocol and law enforcement arrived at the scene.  Police determined the report was false, and the lockdown was lifted.  The Dalles Police Department says it determined there was no threat to the school or any other schools.

 

The Port of Hood River has released a survey featuring questions about its facilities and operations as part of developing a Strategic Business Plan to take the agency through 2026.   The Port began the update process last October.  A project team of consultants have been hired to assist the Port Commission and staff in the development of the new plan.   A paper version of the survey will be included in the Port’s winter newsletter, which is bulk mailed to every resident in the Port district and inserted into an edition of the White Salmon Enterprise.   It’s also available online through portofhoodriver.com.  A “drop-in style”public meeting is planned for February 20 from 6:00 p.m.to 8:00 p.m. in the Port offices on 1000 E. Port Marina Drive.

Northern Wasco County PUD will be accepting applications for its annnal economic development grants until April 17.  The PUD Board of Directors has allocated $50,000 this year to help fund local economic development projects.  Applications must include a brief history of the requesting organization and description of project, including how the project will economically benefit the community, what steps are being taken to bring the project to a successful completion, other community resources being utilized, and how the organization and project will contribute back to the community.  No application can be for more than $20,000.  Applications may be obtained at the Northern Wasco PUD office located at 2345 River Road in The Dalles, downloaded from nwascopud.org, or by calling the PUD office at 541-298-3302.

Maryhill Museum of Art has announced it will open for the season on March 15 with the exhibition A Particular Beauty: Romanian Folk Clothing.  It is drawn almost exclusively from the museum’s collection of Romanian textiles, which has its roots in an early gift from Queen Marie of Romania.   A Particular Beauty will feature 20 fully dressed mannequins and numerous individual garments including coats, chemises, blouses, and vests.  The exhibition will showcase a remarkable variety of Romanian embroidery techniques, mediums, and styles that have evolved through the influences of adjacent ethnic populations, resident invaders, other outsiders, and—in recent decades—urbanization.  Contextual labels and photographs will tie the objects to specific villages, counties, geographical regions, and artisan workshops.  The exhibition will run through November 15.

Boys Basketball

Stevenson 67, Castle Rock 60:  Ethan Haight scored 22 points to lead the Bulldogs to the win.  Stevenson had four players score in double figures.

LaCenter 69, Columbia 26

 

Swimming

The Dalles finished second in both the boys and girls competition to Barlow in a three-school meet that also included Sandy.  The Riverhawks recorded 23 personal bests during the course of the meet.

North Wasco County School District 21 board members held a worksession about the high school’s ability to respond to a recent federal Civil Rights Audit that found the 80-year-old building did not meet accessibility standards.  D-21 Superintendent Candy Armstrong says they have been negotiating with the Oregon Department of Education about timelines to do the upgrades the state wants the district to make.  She notes a number of the steps ODE wants the district to take are going to be very expensive if they can even be done at all, given the age of the building.  Armstrong says the district has been doing the simple fixes that they have the ability to do.