Today’s HRV varsity baseball game vs. Gresham at Traner Field will be played, but game time has been pushed back to 6 p.m.  The JV and freshmen baseball games have been cancelled. Today’s The Dalles varsity baseball game with Glencoe will now be played at Quinton Street Park at 4 p.m. Today’s Hood River Valley tennis matches with Franklin and The Dalles matches with Ridgeview have been cancelled.

The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office 9-1-1 Division has received a $130,000 federal Homeland Security grant to move ahead plans to install radio system improvements atop the County Business Administration Building to fill holes in emergency radio coverage.   Sheriff Matt English says they have a significant gap in emergency radio coverage in downtown Hood River, noting a large amount of interference.  To boost police and fire radio signals in downtown Hood River, engineers propose placing antennas on the rooftop of the County building at 601 State Street.  The equipment installation consolidates needed safety communications equipment in one place on County property, where existing antennas are already in place and reduces visual impacts on other community locations.  Downtown Hood River neighbors and interested residents are encouraged to attend an informational neighborhood meeting about the project Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the County building, in the Board of Commissioners meeting room.  The County will have to obtain permits from the City for the project.

One Community Health in The Dalles and Hood River has received a $70,000 grant from the Oregon Community Foundation to support the Oregon Children’s Dental Health Initiative.  The funding will enable the rollout of a comprehensive oral health plan in Hood River and Wasco Counties.   One Community Health officials say a key component of the plan will be a school-based dental health program for underserved elementary and middle school children.  The grant will allow OCH to hire a program coordinator, implement new programs in Wasco and Hood River Counties to ensure more youth receive sealants they need, create and improve upon school-based dental programs for elementary and middle school students, and design and implement educational components for children, new and expectant mothers, and the community at large.

There will be only one contested local race in Hood River County after a late withdrawal just before Tuesday’s filing deadline.  A.J. Kitt confirmed this morning he was withdrawing from the race for County Commissioner in District 2, citing a personal reason that would prevent him from putting his full energy towards a campaign.  Kitt added he struggled with the decision because of the amount support he had received since announcing his candidacy.  Kitt’s withdrawal leaves Port of Hood River Commissioner Rich McBride as the lone candidate to succeed Maui Meyer, who decided not to seek re-election.  Incumbent Commission Chair Ron Rivers and District 4 Commissioner Les Perkins are unopposed, as are Sheriff Matt English and District Attorney John Sewell in their re-election bids.  There are three candidates for Justice of the Peace in Cascade Locks:  Brad Lorang, John Harvey, and Donna Mohr.

In Wasco County, there are two locally contested elections after the filing deadline.  One matchup has been known for sometime, as long-time journalist Rodger Nichols challenges incumbent Steve Kramer for position two on the Wasco County Commission.  There are also two candidates for County Treasurer, with Ryan Rooper and Elijah Preston filing for the seat.  Lane Magill is the lone Sheriff’s candidate, as he looks to succeed the retiring Rick Eiesland, while incumbent District Attorney Eric Nisley, Clerk Lisa Gambee, and Assessor Jill Amery are all unopposed.

There will be some contested area seats in the Oregon Legislature this election cycle.  Two Democrats have filed in House District 52, as Mark Reynolds and Walt Trandum seek to oppose incumbent Republican Mark Johnson, who is unopposed for his party’s nomination.  In the 59th District, Republican John Huffman has filed for re-election, while Tyler Gabriel is the lone Democrat in the race.  Incumbent Greg Smith is unopposed in the 57th District.  Two Democrats, Stormy Gayle Ray and W. Mark Stringer, have filed to challenge Republican Ted Ferrioli in the 30th Senate District, while Republican 29th District Senator Bill Hansell is opposed by independent Barbara Dickerson.  Circuit Court Judges Janet Stauffer and John Wolf are unopposed for their positions.  Oregon Second District Congressman Greg Walden is being challenged in the Republican primary by Paul Romero, while James Crary is the lone Democrat to file.

Wasco County and a number of municipalities within the county are exploring the possibility of sharing the costs to hire someone to deal with nuisance code violations.  County Commissioner Steve Kramer explains code compliance officers from Wasco County and the City of The Dalles are overloaded with cases, and Dufur, Maupin, and Mosier can use some help dealing with nuisance issues.  Kramer says Dufur Mayor Robert Wallace brought up the concept, and officials have met once to begin to explore the possibility of sharing costs for such a person.  Whether it would be a part-time or full-time position has not been determined.

The Hood River Police Department is seeking the public’s help as it investigates the assault of a Trout Lake man ten days ago.  According to the department, Kozen Sampson reported he got out of his vehicle in the area of 12th and Eugene to do obedience training with his dogs when he was approached by a man who yelled and kicked Sampson’s car door, hitting Sampson in the head.  The man then referred to Sampson as a Muslim and walked away.  Sampson is a Buddhist Monk and was dressed in a brown robe at the time.  He sustained injuries to his face from the attack.  The suspect is described as a white male with brown hair.  Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Hood River Police Detective Sal Rivera at 541-387-5257.

The Skyline Hospital Foundation will honor one of the hospital’s long-time employees and volunteers during their annual Cultivate Columbia event on Saturday.  The foundation’s Elizabeth Vaivoda says O.J. Hecomovich has been a nurse and community volunteer at Skyline for more than 60 years.  Hecomovich worked in Skyline’s surgery department for a number of years, and now volunteers each week to escort guests to their destination in the hospital, and takes care of the plants and flowers in the facility.  Cultivate Columbia is an art, dinner, and auction event that benefits the Skyline Foundation’s various programs and services, and will take place in the hospital’s meeting space this Saturday evening.  

County health departments and various public and private agencies are about to embark on conducting a regional community health assessment.  The assessment will involve Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Klickitat, and Skamania counties, and is required by public health districts, coordinated care organizations, and hospitals.  Hood River County Health Department director Ellen Larsen says they are trying to structure this assessment where all interested parties are on the same page.  Larsen noted collaboration in this area has brought over two million dollars of grant funds into the region.  Larsen said they will start the survey this summer as they try to take advantage of public events to do outreach, with results back by late fall.