The Hood River County Fair opens on Wednesday in Odell, but there is plenty of activity going on at the fairgrounds right now.  Fair Manager Clara Rice says they are getting ready to take entries on Monday and Tuesday.  Fair books are available at numerous locations in Hood River County and at the fair office in Odell.  This year’s theme is “Carnival Lights and Country Nights.”

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality says one of four monitoring wells on the north side of the railroad tracks in Mosier where June’s oil train derailment occurred has shown what is being described as “fairly significant” groundwater contamination.  Bob Schwarz of DEQ says Mosier’s drinking water comes from wells above the derailment site, so he’s confident drinking water has not been affected.  Schwarz says the biggest concern is for a wetland area between the derailment site and the Columbia River, and a treatment system will be installed at the location.  It will involve using pipes in the ground to inject air into the groundwater, and the oxygen in the air will stimulate naturally occurring microbes in the ground that will consume the oil.  Schwarz says the other three wells were fairly clean, with the contaminated well about 150 feet away from where the derailment occurred, and Schwarz says it could have been in a pathway where water flowed from firefighting efforts.

The arrival of a new fixed base operator at the Ken Jernstedt Airfield is bringing changes to the Port of Hood River’s airport.  The new FBO is TachAero, and Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says the effort is to create an aggregation of activities around the business and flight training, with the firm entering into agreements with various airplane manufactures to make the airport a venue for purchasers to train on their new plane.  McElwee says the wind and terrain in the region create a good environment for flight training, giving students experience in a number of situations.  He added the new operator has already bought some new planes and installed a flight simulator.

Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue will be holding its first Junior Firefighter Summer Camp in early August.  It’s for children ages five to ten years old, and MCFR’s Dave Lapof says they are planning a full-range of activities for the youngsters, including learning how to run a fire extinguisher, connect hoses, tie knots, do CPR, and more.  The camp will take place from August 8th to the 10th from 9 a.m. to noon each day at MCFR’s station on 1400 West 8th in The Dalles.  Cost is $45, and space is limited.  For more information call 541-296-9445.

The Four Rivers Early Learning Hub is about to reach its first anniversary of being recognized by the state.  The hub is a regional group made up of Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, and Wheeler counties with a goal of working with parents and caregivers to make sure children arrive in kindergarten ready to learn.  Hub coordinator Christa Rude says they have spending the past four to six months putting together the structure to operate in five counties.  Rude says a team from Sherman, Gilliam, and Wheeler counties are currently doing “ready for kindergarten” professional training while dealing with the challenge of sparse population over a large area.

There is a big new yellow line running down the middle of Jewett Boulevard in White Salmon.  The 18-inch stripe was installed by the Washington State Department of Transportation, which signifies cars cannot cross for any reason.  White Salmon Mayor David Poucher says it came about after the City talked to state transportation officials about dealing with drivers making U-turns to get into parking spaces on the south side of Jewett.  The City recently mandated back-in parking on the south side of Jewett Boulevard, and Poucher noted that a grace period is underway before active enforcement begins on August 1.

Two people from Dufur were killed and three were injured in a Sunday evening motor vehicle accident along Boyd Loop Road about thirteen miles south of The Dalles. According to the Oregon State Police, a pickup truck driven by 40-year-old Tamara Kucher was traveling east on Boyd Loop Road near Highway 197 at about 7:30 p.m. when for unknown reasons the driver lost control, traveled off the roadway into a ditch, and rolled several times.  Kucher and a pickup bed passenger, 21-year-old Hunter Spears, were ejected and succumbed to their injuries at the scene.  The right front passenger, 32-year-old Marshall Johnson, was taken first to Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles then to a Portland area hospital for treatment of serious injuries.  Two rear seat passengers, a 17-year-old female and 16 year-old male were transported to MCMC with minor injuries.  OSP troopers from The Dalles Area Command office are continuing the investigation.  Alcohol, speed, lane safety and occupant safety are being investigated as possible contributing factors.  The OSP was assisted by the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, Dufur Valley Volunteer Fire Department and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue.

The Port of Hood River is developing a schedule for live testing of the Interstate Bridge lift span, with the hope of beginning in early August.  The lift span has not been in operation since a suspected allision with a boat hitting a bridge pier last September.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says the hope is to commence with testing in the next couple of weeks.  At issue is making sure the bridge lift span can raise up and come back down in the proper balance.  The Port recently hired an engineering firm with more expertise in bridge lift spans to handle the testing.

Even though there is no Fort Dalles Rodeo this year, there appears to be no shortage of business for hoteliers in The Dalles this summer.  The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson says there is a steady stream of traffic, along with large of amount of construction in the region and the aftermath of the Mosier oil train derailment that kept hotel rooms booked.  Farquharson says the impact of not having the rodeo may not be known for a while, but she added Fort Dalles Fourth activities and the upcoming Cruise The Gorge weekend bring visitors in to the area.

Three Portland men have been arrested on charges in relation to a Tuesday night shooting on Herman Creek Road near Interstate 84 in Hood River County.  20-year-old Austin Gregory Steed, 19-year-old Chance Corey Pinkard, and 21-year-old Deshone Jaheel Brooks were all lodged at the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facility in The Dalles on charges of attempted murder, first degree assault, and first degree robbery.  The Oregon State Police says a preliminary investigation revealed the trio drove to Herman Creek Road about four four miles east of Cascade Locks Tuesday night and met with 23-year-old Charles Kane, Jr. and 21-year-old Cody Dale Rau, both of Portland, where Kane was shot in the left arm.  Kane and Rau left the scene in their vehicles and stopped along I-84 near the Wyeth interchange, and from there Kane was transported to the Gresham area by Rau to Gresham, and Kane eventually went to Portland’s Legacy Emanuel Medical Center to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.  Steed, Pinkard, and Brooks were located in the area of the shooting by OSP troopers and Hood River County Sheriff’s deputies.  The investigation is continuing.