Wasco County’s budget committee will convene on Monday, and will be primarily examining a status quo fiscal plan for 2016-17.  Commissioner Scott Hege says department heads were asked to budget at current service levels.  He notes the biggest challenge remains keeping up with road maintenance, and he says the current proposal from Public Works Director Arthur Smith is to spend about $750,000 down from a beginning fund balance of close to five million dollars to increase the pace of road work.  Hege pointed out the beginning fund balance is separate from the road department’s reserve fund.  It was accumulated as the road department put money aside in recent years while the county has not budgeted over the last number of years for federal Secure Rural Schools Act funds because of the uncertainty of that program, but they have received some kind of payment each year.

It is Oregon Wildfire Awareness Month, and those who work to prevent fire are reminding people who live in the wildland-urban interface to create a circle of safety around your home.  Kiel Narins of The Dalles Unit of the Oregon Department of Forestry says the circle revolves around the home and at least the first 30 feet around the structure.  Cut back overhanging tree limbs, clean roofs and gutters, mow grass, and keep plants well-watered.  Fuel breaks such as driveways, gravel walkways, and green lawns can halt the advance of a fire by starving of fuel.  Properly placed deciduous trees can protect a home by blocking a wildfire’s intense heat.  In the zone 100 to 200 feet from the home, trees need to be thinned so canopies are not touching.  Tips on creating defensible space around your home to protect it from wildfire is available at firewise.org.

Softball Hermiston 6, Hood River Valley 2:  The Bulldogs scored all of their runs in the seventh inning for the comeback win that eliminated the Eagles from post-season contention.  Bre Naylor’s two-run single tied the game, and Kylie Hinkley’s two RBI base hit put Hermiston in front.  HRV had taken the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when Made Vallejo doubled  home Laney Erikson and then scored on Zoe Munn’s single. LaCenter 15,  Columbia 2   Baseball Hood River Valley 6, Hermiston 5:  The Eagles scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out the victory.  Kellen Duffy’s bases loaded double tied the contest, and he scored the winning run when Hermiston attempted to turn an inning ending double play on Montana Kurahara’s ground ball. Dufur 21, Riverside 9   Girls Lacrosse Hood River Valley 10, Central Catholic 5:  Abby Bartles and Ellen Hudon each scored two goals as the Eagles finish the regular season in second place in the Portland League.  They will begin the state playoffs early next week.

There will be delays on the Hood River/White Salmon Interstate Bridge Wednesday and Thursday while Port of Hood River maintenance crews and contractors will be conduct inspections of the bridge lift span.  Inspections will begin at 9 a.m. on both days and continue until 3 p.m.  Each closure could be up to 15 minutes in duration, so bridge users should expect up to 15 minute delays.

There will be nighttime crack sealing work done on streets in The Dalles this week.  The work will be done on 6th Street, Webber Street, 2nd Street, and Brewers Grade, and take place from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Flaggers will be in place at those locations while work is taking place.

Hood River County’s budget committee will hold what could be its last public meeting of its process on Thursday.  The sheriff, public works director, and juvenile director are the department heads that will come before the budget panel during the meeting.  County Commission Chair Ron Rivers says the discussion with Sheriff Matt English figures to be of the most interest.  English has indicated the need for more officers, and Rivers says the budget does provide for additional manpower.  County Administrator David Meriwether notes work is being done with outside sources to provide funding for additional staffing for the sheriff’s department, with the state marine board providing dollars for additional river patrol, and the County working with the school district for a school resource officer.

A Carson man died in a one-car accident on Highway 14 east of Washougal early Sunday morning.  According to Washington State Patrol reports, 30-year-old Christopher Bash of Carson died after being taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver.  The WSP says Bash was driving eastbound on Highway 14 at around 1:40 a.m. when his car left the roadway at milepost 23 and struck a tree.  There were no passengers in the car.

The Port of The Dalles is working with a local group to putting together a dog park between the cruise ship dock and the marina.  Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says the Port has thought it would be a good location for a dog park for sometime, but needed a group to step up to put it together.  The land used to be part of an old Port dock in the 1920’s, between the bottom of Union Street and the Marina.  Access would be via the Riverfront Trail.

Baseball Hood River Valley 7, Pendleton 6:  The Eagles scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to win an clinch a second straight Columbia River Conference title.  Skyler Hunter drove in the first run with a double, and Morgan Williams scored what proved to be the winning run on a wild pitch.   The Dalles 5, Hermiston 1:  The Riverhawks used a four-run fifth inning to win and move a game ahead of Pendleton for the final play-in spot in the Columbia River Conference with two to play.  Colin Noonan, Cash Mathewson, and Kellen Matheson all drove in runs in the decisive frame.  Bailey Ortega limited Hermiston to two hits over six innings to get the win.   King’s Way Christian 11, Stevenson 0 Sherman splits with Heppner, winning game one 5-4 and losing game two 10-9 Dufur sweeps Culver 4-1 and 15-4   Central Washington Class 2B Baseball Tournament Brewster 19, Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 1 Kittitas 15, Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 5   Softball Pendleton 3, Hood River Valley 2 (8 innings):  Lauren Richards drove in the game winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning while striking out 15 to push the Buckaroos past the Eagles.  HRV had tied the game in the sixth on a leadoff home run by Laney Erikson and Lauren Decker scoring from third on an errant pick-off attempt. HRV is one game back of Hermiston for the final Columbia River Conference play-in spot with two games to play.   The Dalles 13, Hermiston 3:  The Riverhawks scored eight runs in the third inning to move into sole possession of second place in the CRC.   Kalama 5, Columbia 4 Naches Valley sweeps Goldendale 26-0 and 24-0   Track and Field Goldendale was the boys’ winner and Trout Lake the girls’ winner at the Pirate Invitational in Bickleton.  Brian Golding of Goldendale and Easton Atchley of Klickitat won two boys events each, while Bethany Putnam of Trout Lake won three girls’ events and Allison Gilliam of Goldendale won two.   South Wasco took the girls’ title and Irrigon was first in the boys’ standings at the Arlington Invitational.   Boys Golf The Dalles finished fifth to qualify for the state tournament while Hood River Valley 14^th at the Class 5A Special District 2 tournament at Eagle Crest.  Chase Snodgrass of The Dalles finished sixth at five-over-par, seven shots back of medalist Jack Loberg of Summit.   Boys Soccer Toledo 3, Columbia 1:  The Bruins suffer their only Trico League loss in the final game of the season.  They begin district tournament play on May 12 against Toledo or Elma in Montesano.

The Oregon State Police is continuing to investigate the death of a man who was found laying on the shoulder of Interstate 84 near Biggs Junction on Tuesday night.  An OSP trooper found the man laying on his stomach, in medical distress, and his condition rapidly deteriorating.  The trooper, along with a Sherman County Deputy, performed CPR for almost thirty minutes and were relieved by medical personnel once they arrived.  The man, identified as 48-year-old Thomas Kelsey of Deer Park, Washington, was later pronounced deceased at the scene.  The investigation is continuing into the cause of his death and is being referred to the medical examiner.  OSP was assisted by the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office, South Sherman County Fire Department, and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue.