There is still over a month left in the current school year, but area school districts are getting ready for 2017-18, and both North Wasco County School District 21 and the Hood River County School District will be holding Kindergarten Roundups next week.  It’s the time for parents to register their children for next year’s kindergarten classes.  In D-21, Superintendent Candy Armstrong notes they have limited space at Colonel Wright Elementary School.  Both districts will take kindergarten registrations next week at local elementary schools.  More information is available at district websites and from individual schools.

The eleventh annual Gorge Artists Open Studios Tour will take place throughout the region this coming weekend.  One of the participating artists, Abigail Merickel, says it is a free self-guided tour involving 40 different artists and allows people to go into the studios and see how they develop their work.  Artists’ studios from Cascade Locks to The Dalles and Parkdale to Trout Lake are taking part, and will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  For maps and more information go to gorgeartists.org.

The City of Hood River’s budget committee holds its first meeting to look at the municipal fiscal plan for 2017-18 Wednesday evening.  City Manager Steve Wheeler says the City is in good fiscal shape heading into the budget process, and there is $150,000 earmarked to pay in part for replacement of the play structure at Children’s Park.  The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Hood River Fire Hall at 1785 Meyer Parkway.  In other business, the City Council named former Mayor Arthur Babitz to fill a vacancy on the municipal planning commission.

Baseball Hood River Valley 4, Pendleton 3:  Adam Cameron homered as the Eagles finished a sweep of the Buckaroos and moved two games in front in the Columbia River Conference. Hermiston 9, The Dalles 0 LaCenter 17, Columbia 6 Sherman sweeps Culver 8-3 and 9-7. Lyle-Wishram sweeps White Swan 17-1 and 13-0. Goldendale sweeps Granger 19-3 and 21-0.   Softball Pendleton at Hood River Valley:  The game was suspended due to rain after three-and-a-half innings with Pendleton leading 4-0.  The game will resume in the bottom of the fourth inning prior to the two teams’ scheduled game on May 9 in Hood River. Hermiston 8, The Dalles 3 Lyle-Wishram split a doubleheader with White Swan, losing game one 17-4 but winning the nightcap 17-15.   Boys Soccer Stevenson 2, Castle Rock 0 Toledo 3, Columbia 0   Girls Lacrosse Hood River Valley 16, Central Catholic 4

Hood River’s Children’s Park is on track to reopen by May 22.  City Manager Steve Wheeler says repair work has been done to allow about 75 percent of the Children’s Park to reopen, and they are waiting on getting new base material put down.  But Wheeler adds it is clear the play structure needs to be replaced after this year. The next step is to focus on finding funds for replacement.  Wheeler has included $150,000 for the project in his proposed 2017-18 budget, adding the Hood River Vallley Parks and Recreation District is going to try to find a way to help with systems development charge money and the Rotary Club has agreed to be the non-profit to collect donations.

After a lengthy discussion, The Dalles City Council voted to grant a request for a 50 percent reduction of systems development charges for Mid-Columbia Center for Living as it builds a new facility at 10^th and Webber.  Many councilors were initially reticent to grant the reductions, particularly for transportation SDC’s that City staff had already granted a 50 percent reduction of as authorized by an ordinance passed by the Council in 2010.  Councilors noted the need to have a discussion about the policy in light of City goals to build the SDC funds for future infrastructure needs.  But Councilor Darcy Long-Curtiss pointed out Mid-Columbia Center for Living was requesting the same treatment that fellow non-profit One Community Health received two years ago.  The Mid-Columbia Center for Living building is being constructed partially through Community Development Block Grant funds, with the agency borrowing the rest of the money.

Human remains found Friday evening in the area of Dry Creek in the Trapper Creek Wilderness Area about 16 miles north of Carson have been identified as those of a 24-year-old Sunriver man who had been suspected of stealing a truck last month and fled on foot in the Government Mineral Springs area after a high speed pursuit.  The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office says a hiker found the remains of Joshua A. Brown.  Deputies and Wind River Search & Rescue, Silver Star Search & Rescue, and Clark County Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue personnel retrieved the body early Saturday morning after navigating through waist deep snowdrifts and several downed trees.  Brown was the suspected driver of a stolen truck involved in a high speed pursuit on March 20 in an area that was snowbound and reachable only by snowshoe or snowmobile during the winter months.

A 26-year-old Mill A man died in a one car accident on Cook-Underwood Road just west of the Skamania County Road Shop.  The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office says the accident occurred at about 3 a.m. Friday.  The Sheriff’s Office says a vehicle driven by 26-year-old John Salazar of Mill A was westbound on Cook-Underwood Road when he lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway, and struck multiple trees.  The vehicle came to rest facing westbound in the eastbound lane.  The Sheriff’s Office says Salazar was partially ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash.  An investigation is on-going, but the Sheriff’s Office indicates speed may have been a contributing factor in the accident.

The Dalles High School Riverhawk marching band were the winners of both People’s Choice and Walking Group awards at the Cherry Festival parade on Saturday.  In results announced by The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, Canton Wok Lion and Dragon Dancers finished second in the Walking Group with Gorge Surf Dog third.  Renken Farms won the Float division with Polehn Farms second and the Cherry Pit Queens third, while Ketchum Kalf won the Equestrian group with Wasco County second and Klickitat County third.  Taylor Beeks won the Cherry Idol competition with Kaya Byrd second and Hillary Langdon and Kellina Coy third.

Residents in the Hood River city limits started receiving new refuse bins from Hood River Garbage last week and deliveries will continue this week, but they won’t be put into use until next week.  Every residential customer is receiving three bins, one for garbage, one for compost and yard waste, and the third for mixed recycling, but the bins won’t start being picked up until May 1.  When the expanded service begins next week, the compost bin will be picked up weekly, and the garbage and recycling bins collected on alternate weeks.  The first week garbage will be picked up, with recycling the following week.