A Hermiston man died after being involved in an accident while driving the wrong way on Interstate 84 in Gilliam County.  According to the Oregon State Police, Tyler Brown was driving an SUV eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-84 near milepost 114 at about 11:15 p.m. Monday when he struck a semi-truck head on.  Both vehicles came to rest in the travel lanes and caught fire.   The driver of the truck, 61-year-old Michael McCright of Redmond, managed to escape the fire as both vehicles became fully engulfed.  McCright was not injured, while Brown was declared deceased on scene.  The truck was loaded with recently harvested salmon, which took hours for fire crews to fully extinguish.   Both directions of I-84 were closed for almost four hours until one lane in each direction could be opened.  Crews were still on the scene Tuesday morning cleaning the highway.   Sherman County Fire, Rufus Rural Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Transportation assisted OSP officers.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden voiced his support for President Obama’s trade legislation today in a floor speech.  The Senate voted 60-37 today to begin full-blown debate on Obama’s request for fast-track negotiating authority, avoiding a filibuster.  Wyden said to move on from the 1990’s NAFTA policies, Obama’s trade package needs to be approved, adding he believes it will demand more from trade deals than ever before.  Previous presidents have enjoyed fast track authority to allow them to proposed trade pacts that Congress can reject or ratify but not change.  Unions strongly oppose it, saying free-trade deals cost U.S. jobs.  Obama and many Republican leaders believe American products must reach more markets.

A second child has died as the result of injuries suffered in a head-on collision Saturday evening on Highway 14 three miles west of North Bonneville  The Washington State Patrol says nine-year-old Alexander Goy died of his injuries at a Portland hospital on Monday.  Three others were deceased at the scene of the accident.  The WSP says an eastbound pickup driven by 24-year-old Heath Martin of North Bonneville drifted over the center line and struck an on-coming van driven by 47-year-old Anatoliy Goy of Kent.  Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene, as was a young child in the van, seven-year-old Daniel Goy.  Two others in the van, 49-year-old Mariya Goy and 11-year-old Andrey Goy, remain at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland.  The accident occurred just after 8 p.m. Saturday in front of the Skamania County Fire District #5 station.

An analysis of housing needs, buildable land inventory, and a strategy for developing more workforce housing will be presented to the Hood River City Council Monday evening.  City Planning Commissioners will join in the meeting to receive the report from a committee that has been working on it for the past few months.  Mayor Paul Blackburn is hopeful some strategies can be implemented to help create more opportunities for workforce housing, particularly through residential zoning changes.  The study found ten percent of Hood River’s residential property base is not available for year-round occupancy.  Monday’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. in Hood River City Hall.  In The Dalles Monday evening, the City Council will receive a presentation on utility rates based on a League of Oregon Cities water, wastewater, and stormwater rate survey done in March.  That meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in The Dalles City Hall.

North Central Public Health District says two Dry Hollow Elementary School students have lab-confirmed cases of pertussis, or whooping cough.  Health District officials say both students were contagious the last week of school, and those exposed could continue to develop pertussis until approximately July 4.  Close contacts needing to take action have been notified.  Vaccination is highly effective against pertussis, with those at most severe risk of the disease including infants under six months of age, older unvaccinated toddlers and children, and pregnant women.  The Health District strongly recommends vaccination against pertussis, which are available for a fee through your healthcare provider or NCPHD.  Children may qualify for reduced cost or free vaccines at the Health District office, call 541-506-2600 for more information.

Klickitat County has received some national recognition for the sixth-highest increasing median family income in the country.  County Commissioner David Sauter says the five counties ahead of Klickitat are all involved in the fracking industry.  Sauter says the impact of Insitu and the aerospace industry is a big reason for the jump, noting the west side of the county is feeling that impact far more than the eastern portion.  Sauter says officials hope development in the new Dallesport Industrial Park can help the economics in the east side of the County.

Three people, including a seven-year-old boy, were killed Saturday evening in a head-on collision on Highway 14 three miles west of North Bonneville.  According to the Washington State Patrol, an eastbound pickup driven by 24-year-old Heath Martin of North Bonneville drifted over the center line and struck an on-coming van driven by Anatoliy Goy of Kent.  Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene, as was a young child in the van.  Three others in the van:  49-year-old Mariya Goy, an 11-year-old boy and a seven-year-old boy, were transported to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland.  It is not known if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the accident.  The accident occurred just after 8 p.m. Saturday, in front of the Skamania County Fire District #5 station.

With a deal between Oregon Governor Kate Brown and eight key legislators to repeal the clean fuels program passed early in the session in order to raise 200 million dollars for transportation projects having been leaked to the media, the question of whether the deal can actually happen takes center stage.   The Oregonian and OregonLive.com reported this morning a series of closed-door talks led to the bargain, and 19 House Democrats have sent a letter to Brown threatening to scuttle the deal.  On Mid-Columbia Today this morning, Republican 26th District Senator Chuck Thomsen said he thinks the deal can gain approval, but it depends on how the Governor deals with members of her party in the House.  The Oregonian reports part of the deal would replace the clean fuel standard would be replace by a biofuel-blending program in which fuel distributors would be required to buy any available fuel the state Agriculture Department determines would have a lower carbon impact, be safe for engines, and not cost more.

Washington 14th District State Representative Gina McCabe is drafting a bill to help first responders deal with emergencies involving individuals with autism and other disabilities.  McCabe started working on the bill after being contacted by the parents of a non-verbal autistic child in Wapato, and met with parents, first responders, police, and others in Olympia this week.  The Travis Alert bill would create a system for a colored, reflective puzzle-piece decal that could be placed in a vehicle or on the main entrance of a residence to indicate a person with disabilities could be present.  It would also create an enhanced 911 program for parents to optionally submit information pertaining to their child’s disability so first responders would know how to best address the emergency situation.  The emergency notification system would be coupled with increased education and training requirements for first responders on how to approach individuals with disabilities in times of crisis.

The Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District open the new swimming pool at Thompson Park Thursday afternoon.  The Northern Wasco County Aquatic Center held an open swim Thursday, .and will operate on a full schedule Friday starting at 5:30 a.m.  District Executive Director Phil Lewis says the pool is ready to go, while some of the amenities are still being worked on.  The pool’s grand opening will take place Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.  Full pool schedule information is available at nwprd.org.