A little more than one-third of voters in Wasco and Hood River counties have returned their ballots as the election season enters its final week.  Wasco County reports a return rate of 34.5 percent as of Wednesday morning, while Hood River County is at 36.7 percent.  Election officials in Oregon do remind people to drop off their ballots at County election offices or official drop boxes at this point as the mail is not guaranteed to get to them by election day.  In Hood River County, ballots can be taken to the County Administration Building on 601 State Street in Hood River or to the drop box at Cascade Locks City Hall.  In Wasco County, take ballots to the Courthouse on 511 Washington or the drop box at Maupin City Hall.  Also if a registered voter has not received a ballot by this point, go to your County election office and get another ballot.  In Washington, just over 29 percent of ballots have been returned in Skamania County and just over 24 percent in Klickitat County.

The Port of Hood River Commission has begun studying a range of options for tolls on the Interstate Bridge.  Commissioners were given possibilities ranging from no increase of current rates up to one dollar for BreezeBy customers and two dollars for cash tolls, similar to charges on the Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says the next step is to take a deeper look at the fiscal impacts of those changes during the Commission’s November 15 fall planning session.  McElwee added the continued increasing cost of maintaining the bridge is one reason the tolls are being looked at, but another is developing funding for local matches for state and federal funding in planning tasks for an eventual replacement bridge.  The Port’s 2016-17 budget factored in a probable bridge toll increase sometime in the next year.

Registration to receive assistance through the Hood River County Christmas Project will begin this coming Friday and Saturday at the Department of Human Services office in Hood River.  Project organizer Bruce Holmson says they do have a number of eligibility requirements, most notably being a resident of Hood River County and meeting state low income eligibility standards.  A number of other registration dates will take place in November and early December at different locations throughout the County.  Go to hoodrivercountychristmasproject.com for the schedule.

A segment of Webber Street in The Dalles between First Street and Bargeway Road will be closed to all traffic from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm. both Thursday and Friday.  The Dalles Public Works Department will be installing new storm and sanitary service lines to the property west of the site.  Vehicles will be routed around the construction site using Terminal Street to connect West 1^st Street and Bargeway Road.  Pedestrian access to the sidewalk and some on street parking will be restricted.  All other motorists are encouraged to use the Port area overpass to access the Port and businesses on the west end of town.

Oregon Class 5-A Girls Soccer First Round Hillsboro 2, Hood River Valley 0:  The Spartans scored a goal in each half to advance in the state tournament.  Eileen Reyna scored in the 36^th minute to give Hillsboro the lead, while Sofia Guizer put home a feed from Madison Ellsworth a little more than four minutes into the second half for the second goal.  The Spartans played a solid defensive game, limiting HRV to very few chances, particularly after taking the lead.  The Eagles finish the season with an 11-4 record.   SCAC District Volleyball Tournament Goldendale def. Connell 25-22, 20-25, 25-13, 25-15:  The Timberwolves inched closer to a state tournament invitation with the victory on the road.  Goldendale meets Naches Valley on Saturday at noon at Kiona-Benton High School in a semi-final match.  The Timberwolves need to win one match on Saturday to advance to the Washington Class 1-A Tournament next week.   Hood River Valley’s Noe Magana was named player of the year to lead a group of five Eagles on the first team of the all-Columbia River Conference boys’ soccer team.  Jorge Campos, Angel Sonato, Erik Siekkinen, and Saul Chavarria were also named to the first squad, while Travis Running was named goalkeeper of the year.  The Dalles was represented on the first team by Omar Rodriguez and Brandon Bustamonte.   Cielo Rivera was named player of the year and Vanessa Silva goalkeeper of the year to lead the Hood River Valley contingent on the first team of the all-Columbia River Conference girls’ soccer squad.  Mona Diaz, Yahaira Chavarria, and Ami Santillan were also named to the first team.  For The Dalles Brooke McCall, Giselle Manzo, and Victoria Barragan were named to the first team.   In Columbia River Conference volleyball, Hood River Valley’s Shae Duffy was named player of the year, while the Eagles’ Scott Walker was tabbed as coach of the year.  HRV’s Emily Curtis, Katie Kennedy, and Rebecca Johnston were also selected to the first team, as was Jodi Thomasian of The Dalles.

Mid-Columbia Community Action is currently taking applications from senior and disabled residents in Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, and will open it up to the general public on December 1.  Community Action Executive Director Jim Slusher says they have received a similar funding allocation for the program that assists with heating bills as they have the last couple of years.  Senior and disabled residents who have not received a letter on the program and think they might qualify for assistance should call the CAP office in Hood River at 541-386-4027 or in The Dalles at 541-298-5131.  Appointments for the general public will begin to be scheduled at 8 a.m. on December 1, and Slusher advises people they will not be taking any calls for appointments before that time.

The Oregon State Police is continuing to investigate the death of a man whose body was found along side of eastbound Interstate 84 west of Arlington.  Law enforcement officers found the body of 36-year-old Phillip Webb of Vancouver lying next to his vehicle last Thursday in the area of milepost 121 with a single gunshot wound to the head.  Callers reported seeing two separate vehicles in the area of the deceased prior to law enforcement arrival.  The first is described as a dark blue or black newer style full size pickup with a canopy and a male driver.   The second vehicle is described as a cream colored full size pickup.  Webb’s vehicle was a 2011 Toyota Tundra, gray in color with Washington license plates.  The OSP is investigating the incident as death by self-inflicted gunshot.  Anyone who may have stopped on scene to check the deceased’s condition or who may have more information about this incident is asked to call the Oregon State Police – The Dalles Area Command at 541-296-9646.

The Wasco County Commission will conduct a hearing Wednesday on three different appeals of the County Planning Commission’s recent decision to approve a proposal from Union Pacific Railroad to expand the existing railroad siding on either side of Mosier for four miles of new second mainline track and realigned existing track.  One appeal is from Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Columbia Riverkeeper, and Physicians for Social Responsibility, another from the Confederated Tribes of the Yakama Nation, and a third by the railroad itself over some conditions of approval.  The appeal hearing will take place at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center.

The continuance of the Hood River City Planning Commission’s public hearing on the proposal to change the zoning of the Morrison Park property at the corner of Wasco and 20th Street from Open Space/Public Facilities to Urban High Density Residential to allow the City to partner with Mid-Columbia Housing Authority on an affordable housing project has been pushed back to February 6.  It had originally been expected to continue this coming Monday, but City Manager Steve Wheeler says a number of questions came up in the initial hearing that need to be researched.  Wheeler also noted a heavy schedule of issues in the planning area was part of the reasoning to push the Morrison Park question back to February.

The Mt. Hood National Forest has released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Government Camp-Cooper Spur Land Exchange.  The document describes the potential effects of the conveyance of two parcels totaling approximately 109 acres on the Zigzag Ranger District in Clackamas County in exchange for the acquisition of approximately 769 acres of land owned by Mt. Hood Meadows in Hood River County.  The draft EIS describes the proposed action, a no-action alternative, and two additional alternatives that were considered but not developed or analyzed in detail.  While no significant issues that drive alternatives were identified, the draft reviews the potential effects of the swap on a variety of resources, including cultural resources; hydrology; wetlands; water rights; threatened, endangered, and sensitive species; recreation; visuals; facilities; and socio-economics.  The draft EIS document is available on the Mt. Hood National Forest website, and public comment will be taken for the next 90 days.