A local group has been deeded a two-and-a-half acre parcel in the western portion of The Dalles for construction of a youth center.  Executive Director for the group ACTS (Acclaiming Christ Through Sports) Joe Martin said an anonymous donor has given two-and-a-half acres on West Seventh Street behind the Motel 6.  Martin says ACTS is working with a number of different organizations to put together a plan to build a youth center on the site, and active recreation will be a big focus.  He says the center will involve a number of different youth organizations.  Martin says the next step is to get conceptual drawings done for a center, finalizing who will be partnering in the effort, and soliciting grant funding.  He has an ambitious goal of getting a first phase of the Center finished by September of next year.

Over 20 private property owners in the Glenwood Valley and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have signed an agreement for management of lands to preserve habitat for the Oregon Spotted Frog and maintain agricultural activities.  The frog is listed as a threatened species, and the Glenwood Valley is home to a population of the species.  Klickitat County Commissioners helped facilitate the agreement.  Commissioner David Sauter feels the agreement with benefit all parties, with property owners making some adjustments to their practices including when haying takes place and when water goes on and is withdrawn from fields and when it is kept in canals.  Sauter says it is a 20-year agreement.

Cherry harvesting in the Mid-Columbia is off to its earliest start in nearly three decades as the result of a warmer winter and spring than usual, and it appears the crop may be better than originally forecasted.  Oregon State University Extension Agent Lynn Long says feared damage from a hard freeze in November has not proven to be as widespread as originally feared.  Long added California’s cherry crop is winding down, so the market for Mid-Columbia cherries should be good.  The major concern at this point is forecasts of hot weather in the Gorge.  Long says an extended number of above 90-degree days can cause problems with sunburn and drying out of the fruit.  Chelan and Early Robin varieties are being harvested now, and Bing harvest should begin next week.

Three brothers have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of Parkdale man one year ago.  Hood River County Sheriff Matt English says 27-year-old Michael David Schneider, 23-year-old Peter Damien Schneider, and 22-year-old Donald Mathew Schneider were take into custody on various charges surrounding the May 4, 2014 disappearance of Jason Muschaweck of Parkdale.  The trio was taken into custody early this morning after search warrants were executed at two Parkdale residences.  Michael Schneider was arrested at a residence in the 6200 block of Miller Road, while Peter and Donald Schneider were taken into custody at a residence on the 7400 block of Clear Creek Road.  All three were taken into custody without incident.  The brothers were lodged at Northern Oregon Regional Corrections in The Dalles.  Michael and Donald Schneider were charged with Murder, Burglary I and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.  Peter Schneider was lodged on the charge of Burglary I.   The Oregon State Police Special Weapons and Tactics Team and Wasco County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the operation.

Patrick Harvey’s bases loaded single in the bottom of the eighth inning gave Hood River Valley a 1-0 win over Pendleton in an OSAA/U.S. Bank/Les Schwab Tires Class 5A baseball semi-final, sending the Eagles to the state championship game for the second straight year.  Kam Walker was hit by a pitch to start the frame, and then Pendleton pitcher Quinn Cockburn threw Ryan Ward’s sacrifice bunt down the right field line, moving Walker to third.  Kellen Duffy was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Harvey followed with a line drive to right field to win it.  Pendleton had a chance to score in the top of the eighth when Jack Peterson singled and Wyatt Morris followed with a double, but Kam Walker delivered a perfect relay to the plate to throw out Peterson.  Ward and Cochran were both terrific on the mound.  Ward allowed only three hits and struck out ten, while Cochran gave up just four hits and struck out six.  Ward’s effort moved the Eagles’ string of shutout innings in the post-season to 22.  The Eagles will face Liberty, a 2-1 winner over Summit in 14 innings on Tuesday, for the state 5A baseball title on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer.

YouthThink of Wasco County is planning a community discussion next week to discuss what the legalization of marijuana in Oregon means to children in the community.  YouthThink coordinator Debby Jones says the meeting will not be a debate about the law, but rather a discussion of a strategy on how to best help children.  Jones says the goal is to receive factual information.  Short presentations will be made by representatives of law enforcement, the juvenile department, schools, treatment services, parents, business, and youth.  The discussion will take place at 6:30 p.m. next Tuesday night (June 9) at the Riverenza on 401 East 10th in The Dalles.

Two people who have been fixtures in efforts to promote healthy life habits and education for children and families in Hood River County are retiring at the end of June.  Hood River County Prevention Department Director Joella Dethman and Prevention Specialist Maija Yasui both say while they are leaving their paid jobs, they both plan to remain involved in efforts to help children.  Dethman says one of the big changes she has noted over the years is the ability to better track the outcomes of their efforts.  The County is in the process of finding a successor to Dethman.  The Hood River County Prevention Department was known as the County Commission on Children and Families until a reorganization of the state’s youth services structure two years ago.

Gorge Grown Food Network has received a grant to launch a new program to provide vouchers that low income families can redeem at local farmers’ markets and some grocery stores for fresh fruit and vegetables.  The $20,000 grant comes from a subfund of the Oregon Community Foundation, with several local healthcare providers providing matching funds for the fresh produce vouchers.  Under the Veggie Prescription program, healthcare and social service providers will identify those dealing with food insecurity through a questionnaire, and then can write a “prescription” that can be filled at farmers’ markets and grocery stores in the Gorge for fresh foods.  A Columbia Gorge Coordinated Care Organization Community Advisory Council survey found some who receive food stamps or other help are still not able to access fresh fruit and vegetables.  

Columbia River fishery managers have announced a change to the spring Chinook daily bag limit that will allow anglers to keep up to two adipose fin-clipped adult Chinook beginning Wednesday through June 15 from Tongue Point upstream to the Oregon/Washington border above John Day Dam.  The overall daily bag limit remains two steelhead or salmon…but both fish may now be Chinook.  The two adult Chinook limit will continue through the summer Chinook season beginning June 16, when anglers may also keep sockeye salmon as part of the adult bag limit.  The increased harvest opportunity is the result of a new run projection of 271,000 fish, up from the original estimate of 232,500.

A 79-year-old resident of The Dalles died Saturday evening in a four-wheeled vehicle accident on a Forest Service road in Grant County.  According to Morrow County Undersheriff Steve Myren, Gary Honald was riding with friends when the accident occurred.  Myren said the people with Honald tried to resuscitate him, adding Sheriff’s Office investigators found Honald had lost control of the vehicle, and it was simply a “tragic accident.”  The accident occurred at approximately 7:45 p.m. Saturday about 26 miles south of Heppner.  The Morrow County Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation for Grant County.