The Port of The Dalles is planning to apply for funding from the state to help planning and marketing funds to help market the Columbia Gorge Industrial Center.  Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says it appears there will be funds in the state budget for 2015-17 to be associated with capital construction projects.  For The Dalles, that means the opportunity to receive grant dollars for planning and marketing projects they are working on, and specifically the Columbia Gorge Industrial Center.  Klaas says the final three-inch lift of asphalt on roads in the Industrial Center is expected to be laid down in June, which will finish infrastructure installation there.

After some reluctance over the years…Hood River County is joining with the Area Commission on Transportation that also includes Multnomah…Clackamas…and Washington counties.  The panel is an off-shoot of the Oregon Transportation Commission…and County Commission Chair Ron Rivers says Hood River County had been reluctant to join because of a good working relationship with the Oregon Department of Transportation, and a fear of getting lost behind the three larger metropolitan-area counties.  Rivers says the makeup of the voting members of the group is such that he no longer has that concern.  But he adds not being a part of a group can leave Hood River County on the outside looking in when it comes to state funding.  The other three counties had also never formed an area commission.  Rivers says by-laws are being set up to determine how the commission will operate.

Skamania County Emergency Medical Services responded to three calls at the Dog Mountain Trail over the weekend.  On Saturday evening crews were dispatched up the Dog Mountain Trail for a hiker with a medical condition.  The adult male received medical intervention and was able to trek the remaining portion of the trail.  Sunday afternoon crews were again dispatched for an injured hiker at the top of the Dog Mountain Trail.  Moments later crews were also dispatched to a motor vehicle collision at milepost 54 on Highway 14 just next to the Dog Mountain parking lot and trail head.  Crews responded with multiple apparatus and assisted the 5 occup nts from the three car collision.  All occupants were evaluated and treated by medical personnel for minor injuries and released.   Crew members then began up the trail to assist the hiker, an adult female.  A helicopter transferred the patient to awaiting crews at Home Valley Park and the patient was transported to PeaceHealth Southwest by ambulance for an ankle injury.

Baseball Hood River Valley 6, Pendleton 1:  HRV clinched the Columbia River Conference championship, its first league title in 22 years.  The Eagles jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings. Hermiston 1, The Dalles 0:  The Bulldogs pull within one game of the Riverhawks for the final play-in spot from the CRC with two games to play. Kalama 5, Columbia 4:  The Chinooks win to claim the Trico League’s final spot in the Southwest Washington District Tournament. Sherman splits with Culver, losing game one 6-4 but bouncing back for a 10-0 win in the nightcap.   Softball The Dalles 10, Hermiston 0:  The Dalles clinches second place in the Columbia River Conference and a play-in berth. Pendleton 14, Hood River Valley 1 Kalama 10, Columbia 0 Naches Valley sweeps Goldendale 11-0 and 15-0   Track and Field Lyle-Wishram was the boys’ winner and Riverside Christian took first among the girls at the Greater Columbia League Championships in Bickleton.  Gabe Montoya of Lyle-Wishram and James Baker of Trout Lake each won three events in the boys’ competition, while Trout Lake’s Bethany Putnam and Lyle-Wishram’s Ellie Smith each won a pair of girls’ events.   The Dalles girls won a three-school meet over Pendleton and Hermiston.  Katie Conklin and Yasmin Hill won two events each for the Riverhawks.  The Dalles was second in the boys’ standings, led by wins by Ian Corey and Paul Clark.   Goldendale was the boys and girls winner at the Arlington Invitational.  The Timberwolves dominated the boys’ competition with nine event wins.  Dufur’s Taylor Darden won two events on the girls’ side.   Girls Golf Ileana Telles finished fifth with an 11-over-par 155 over two days at the Class 5A Special District 2 tournament at Eagle Crest.  Telles qualifies for the state 5-A tournament next week at Trysting Tree Golf Course in Corvallis.   The Dalles finished seventh in the 11 team tournament.

The Columbia Gorge Community College budget committee passed a 2015-16 fiscal year plan as developed by college administration, except for moving $43,798 dollars from institutional support to student services to add an administrative assistant for the Hood River campus.  Committee members had received over $270,000 in possible transfers to student services from staff as they requested, even though CGCC Chief Financial Officer Will Norris emphasized he was not recommending them.  But a motion to make all the moves lost in a split 6-6 vote, with four of the no votes from College Board of Education members.  The committee did pass a policy calling for institutional support to be brought more in line with other community colleges in the state by the next fiscal year.  A report by one budget committee member indicated CGCC’s institutional support represented 28 to 30 percent of the school’s budget, while the average at other Oregon community colleges was 20 percent.  Committee Chair Arthur Babitz said the College Board should call for a major reorganization, while board member Ernie Keller contended colleges are different than a business and have different system requirements.  The Board of Education holds its budget hearing on June 9.

Boys Soccer Columbia 2, Toledo 1: The Bruins defeat the Trico League champs to finish second in the league, and will start district tournament play on Tuesday. King’s Way Christian 5, Stevenson 2   Boys Lacrosse Hood River Valley 14, Cleveland 8:  The Eagles earn their second Columbia League win of the year.   Girls Lacrosse Hood River Valley 12, Cleveland 4:  Savannah Breitlinger scored four goals as the Eagles finish the regular season tied for third in the Portland League with Grant.

The U.S. Forest Service is hosting a listening session on forest planning for the Mt. Hood and Gifford Pinchot National Forest on Monday evening in Hood River.  After an opening presentation, session participants will break out into small groups to address a number of questions with Forest Service representatives.  Those questions include what should the Forest Service consider when revising Northwest forest plans, how science should be incorporated in the process, and how should the public be engaged.  The session will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at the Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River.  The Forest Service is holding a dozen of the sessions around the Northwest.

Road work is planned in both The Dalles and Hood River next week.  In The Dalles, street surface upgrade work on West 3rd Place from the intersection with Trevitt eastward to Lincoln Street will begin on Monday and continue through Thursday.  On Monday and Tuesday both lanes of West 3rd Place will be close to thru traffic, with workers trying to accommodate local access for residents.  On Wednesday and Thursday both lanes of West 3rd Place will be completely closed to all traffic as final surface paving begins, and residents will need to use alternate access and parking.  Meanwhile, the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge will have single lane closures all of next week between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.  Commuters using the bridge during those hours should expect up to 15 minute delays as crews perform maintenance welding to the bridge deck.

Wasco County will be considering whether or not to seek a drought declaration from the state.  Commissioners have directed County staff to consult with agricultural partners on whether or not the County should seek the declaration.  County Administrative Officer Tyler Stone says if it’s appropriate a drought declaration can provide assistance to the ag industry in the form of providing state resources and help producers with insurance contracts they have.  Stone said there was not timeline to make a decision on whether to send a letter requesting a drought declaration, but he thought they would be shooting for the next Commission meeting later in the month.  The last time Wasco County sought a drought declaration was in 2003.

It’s been close to three years since a water pipe broke in White Salmon’s City Hall and caused significant damage, but it appears the City and its insurance company are close enough to reaching a settlement figure to allow renovations to finally take place.  Mayor David Poucher says the settlement has not been finalized, but the offer has gone up enough to allow the City to proceed with going out for bid.  A combination of the insurance settlement and money budgeted for the project since 2013 will be used to pay for the work.  Poucher noted the City intends to move its police department from the Park Center into the renovated City Hall.  City offices have been in a temporary downtown location since the water line break.