Lyle High School and the Corbett Middle School Electric Cardinals were the first place finishers at the 2015 Wind Challenge  at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center.  The event attracted 40 teams of students from high schools and middle schools in the region.  The challenge was to build a working wind turbine that could pass power and efficiency tests.  In the high school division, Lyle was the winner, with Columbia High School in second and Goldendale Homeschoolers in third.  Corbett won the middle school division, followed by Mill A in second and St. Mary’s Team 1 in third.  Google and Columbia Gorge Community College sponsored the event.

Baseball Hood River Valley splits with The Dalles, winning the opener 12-2 but losing the nightcap 10-6:  HRV maintains a two-game lead over The Dalles and Pendleton in the Columbia River Conference with four to play.   Columbia 13, Stevenson 8 Dufur sweeps Culver 5-1 and 20-8   Softball The Dalles sweeps Hood River Valley 13-8 and 8-7 Granger sweeps Goldendale 13-3 and 11-1   Track and Field Hood River Valley’s Sebastian Barajas won both the boys’ shot put and discus at the Nike/Jesuit Twilight Relays.  HRV’s Jestena Mattson was nipped by Barlow’s Danielle Woodcock in the girls’ 100 meters.   Hood River Valley’s boys were second at the Dean Nice Invitational in Gresham.  Parker Kennedy broke a school record in winning the boys’ pole vault and also took first in the 110 meter hurdles, while Gabriel Campos-Davis won the 400 meters.  Emily Viuhkola won the girls’ 400 for HRV, while for The Dalles Riley Bardes won the boys’ shot put and Katie Conklin the girls’ triple jump.   Sherman’s boys and girls earned second place finishes at the 1-A Classic in Portland.  Blake Evans won the boys’ 100 meters for the Huskies, Maverick Winslow grabbed first in the boys’ pole vault, the boys’ 4 by 100 meter relay team was victorious, and Brittney Orendorff won the girls’ pole vault.  For Dufur, Taylor Darden won both the girls’ shot put and discus, Kirsten Sorensen was first in the girls’ high jump, and Jake Little topped the boys’ javelin.   Columbia grabbed three first place finishes at the Panther Twilight in Washougal:  Stacia Bell in the girls’ discus, Savanah Story the girls’ 300 meter hurdles, and the boys’ 4 by 100 meter relay team.   Goldendale’s Ocean Bryan won the girls’ 300 meter hurdles at the Naches Valley Invitational   Lyle-Wishram was the boys’ winner and Columbia the girls’ victor at the Jeff Agar Memorial Invitational in Glenwood.  Top boys’ performers included Lyle-Wishram’s Gabe Montoya and Trout Lake’s James Baker winning three events each, while Ellie Smith of Lyle-Wishram won three girls’ events.   Boys Lacrosse Oregon Episcopal 12, Hood River Valley 5   Boys Tennis Highland 4, Goldendale 1   Girls Tennis Highland 5, Goldendale 0

The Washington State Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower court’s ruling that the Klickitat Public Utility District is liable for one-point-six million dollars in fire-suppression costs resulting from a fire five years ago near Lyle.  The PUD had appealed the 2013 Klickitat County Superior Court ruling, arguing it was not subject to state law requiring the Department of Natural Resources to recover fire-suppression costs if negligence is found.  Investigators said the 2,100-acre wildfire started when a tree fell on a power line owned by Klickitat PUD.  The Court of Appeals ruling stated even as a municipal corporation, the PUD can still be held responsible for the starting a wildfire.  PUD chief operating officer Ron Ihrig told the Yakima Herald-Republic the utility has not yet decided whether to appeal, noting their insurer had led the effort to contest liability because it insures several other public utilities.

Oregon Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli says legislators have to try again to make reforms to the state’s Public Employees Retirement System, but adds that probably should happen during next year’s legislative session.  Ferrioli thinks the state can’t afford for the Oregon Supreme Court ruling that the 2013 cuts to public employee retirement benefits are unconstitutional to be the end of PERS reform.  The John Day Republican believes while PERS premiums will not spike immediately, the cliff is coming and he wants to bring together the state’s best and brightest budget, economic, and legal scholars to look at the decision.  Justices ruled the Legislature cannot retroactively scale back an annual inflation increase of up to two percent.

The Oregon Supreme Court says some of the 2013 cuts to public employee retirement benefits are unconstitutional.  Today’s ruling eliminates much of the savings state lawmakers were seeking, and will probably lead to larger pension contributions for state and local governments starting in 2017.  Justices ruled the Legislature couldn’t retroactively scale back an annual inflation increase of up to two percent.  House Republican Leader Mike McLane and Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli both expressed disappointment with the ruling, saying it reverses bipartisan work done to address PERS liabilities.  The Court did rule the Legislature could change cost of living adjustments for services provided after the law was amended, and that out-of state retirees do not have a right to extra benefits to cover state taxes they don’t pay.

Washington Department of Natural Resources officials are worried about ultra-dry conditions in much of the state, and urging people to be prepared for the fire season.  DNR’s Mary Verner says the fire season is actually underway, with 73 fires already reported.  Verner points out there are already restrictions in place on DNR-protected lands, even though there is no burn ban at this point.  She says they want people to understand how to protect their own properties.  Verner adds DNR resources to fight were stretched thin last year, and they rely on numerous partnerships for help.  DNR is hosting a wildfire preparedness meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Lyle High School.

Track and Field Columbia won both the boys and girls portions of a four-school meet it hosted in White Salmon, while Lyle-Wishram’s boys were second and girls fourth.  Lyle-Wishram’s Gabe Montoya won three boys’ events, while teammate Jacob Zeigler and Columbia’s James Bell won two each.  In the girls’ part of the meet, Columbia’s Savannah Story, Stacia Bell, and Alondra Casarez-Garcia all won a pair of events.   LaCenter was first among boys and girls teams in a four-school meet in Stevenson.  The host Bulldogs were third in both the boys and girls standings.  Madison McCrum won three events for the Stevenson girls, while Brandon Campbell won two for the Bulldog boys.   Boys Tennis Hood River Valley 7, The Dalles 1   Boys Golf Horizon Christian finished sixth in district qualifying at Quail Valley Golf Club in Banks.  Ian Walker had the best round for the Hawks, shooting an 89.

Baseball Hood River Valley 19, Hermiston 9 (10 innings):  Riley Wilson’s three-run double set off an 11-run tenth inning to lift the Eagles to the win in a back and forth game.  Hermiston jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning, HRV came back to take an 8-7 lead in the top of the seventh inning, only to have the Bulldogs tie the game in the bottom of the seventh.  Kam Walker pitched five innings in relief to earn the win.  The Eagles moved two games in front of Pendleton and The Dalles atop the Columbia River Conference.   Pendleton 13, The Dalles 1:  The Buckaroos rolled to the win at Quinton Street Park to pull even with the Riverhawks in second place in the league.   Columbia sweeps Stevenson:  The Bruins win 8-7 and 14-3 to tie LaCenter for fourth in the Trico League.   Sunnyside Christian sweeps Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 15-3 and 13-9.   Naches Valley sweeps Goldendale 3-0 and 10-0.   Softball Pendleton 12, The Dalles 4: The league-leading Buckaroos completed a three-game sweep of the Riverhawks that saw them score 37 runs. Hermiston 10, Hood River Valley 0:  The Bulldogs stayed in the post-season race and pull within a game of HRV for third in the Columbia River Conference.

Google and Columbia Gorge Community College are partnering in their second annual Student Wind Challenge this weekend in The Dalles.  The event has doubled in size this year, with over 200 students part of 40 middle and high school teams.  Google’s Dave Karlson says the challenge is to build the best wind turbine.  The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center adjacent to the CGCC campus in The Dalles  There will also be a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fair, with the University of Oregon and OMSI taking part.

The 28th Annual Community Clean-Up in The Dalles will be taking place this Saturday.  The Wasco County yard on West 10th and Walnut will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, and people can bring two standard-sized pickup loads per household.  Cindy Keever of The Dalles Public Works says it helps to have your items sorted before you arrive.  Items no longer needed but too good to throw away can be donated to the Re-Use area.  Those with questions about the Community Clean-up can call The Dalles Public Works at 541-296-5401 or Keever at 541-506-2004.