The City of The Dalles will hold its first budget committee meeting next week.  The committee is made up of the City Council and five at-large members from the community.  Mayor Steve Lawrence projects it will take three days of meetings to go through the entire budget.  Lawrence reiterated the priority would be on road maintenance, noting Councilors approved allowing transferring general fund money to road maintenance.  Lawrence added one of the Council’s goals for this year is to evaluate how the City can decrease its debtload, perhaps using a portion of increased transient room tax revenue to do so.  Another is to clearly identify what is in the general fund and how priorities are being set.

FISH Food Bank’s new facility on Tucker Road adjacent to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hood River is about to open  FISH is going to open the building to its clients this coming Monday, while the Pine Street location will close.  Marianne Durkan of FISH says they will be able to have more items and fresh food items available.  FISH will retain the same hours of operation in the new building as they have had at Pine Street.  FISH branches in Cascade Locks, Odell, and Parkdale will maintain their current operations.  A grand opening and community open house is planned in June.

A Parkdale man was arraigned Monday on attempted murder and assault charges for the shooting of a man at the Hood River Marina early Saturday evening.  Hood River Circuit Court Judge John Olson set bail at $50,000 for 28-year-old Tyson Sackett, accused of shooting 60-year-old Mark Wright of Eugene.  Hood River Police say officers responded to a report of shots fired at the Hood River Marina around 6:45 p.m. Saturday.   According to witnesses a man fired several shots at another man in a vehicle at the north end of the marina.  The gunman fled eastbound across the marina, stripped off his clothing and jumped into the Columbia River and swam to the adjacent riverbank.  Hood River Police located Sackett and took him into custody a short time later at a nearby gas station.  A Skamania County dive team on Sunday morning retrieved a handgun believed to have been used in the shooting from the Columbia River near the north end of the Hood River marina.  Wright was able to drive himself into the downtown Hood River area before getting help, and was transported by Life Flight to a Portland area hospital.  Sackett will make his next court appearance on May 12.

It will probably be next week before Klickitat County Commissioners consider what to do with the Husum/BZ Corners Plan Update.  Commissioners last week held a hearing on the plan update that has been in effect for three years.  Commissioner Rex Johnston says the panel learned some things during the hearing.  He felt those who testified were fairly split on the update.  Johnston noted the Commission would not consider what it wants to do with the plan update until next week.  Fellow Commissioner David Sauter is in Washington, D.C. this week, and will not attend the Commission’s regularly scheduled meeting.

The City of Hood River is embarking this week on its budget process for the 2015-16 fiscal year.  The City enters its budget work without any major issues, but City Manager Steve Wheeler says there are challenges.  But he does add revenue is up.  Wheeler says room tax revenues are up by 13 percent, so he thinks that is helping the City keep pace with the numbers of people who are here during the summer.  He notes the City manages that situation by hiring temporary workers during the peak tourism season.

Baseball Hood River Valley sweeps Hermiston 11-1 and 4-3:  Ryan Ward pitched a four-hitter in game one, but was taken to hospital with an apparent jaw injury after a collision in the outfield in game two.  Patrick Harvey drove in the game winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning of the nightcap to give HRV sole possession of first place in the Columbia River Conference.   The Dalles splits with Pendleton:  The Riverhawks lost game one 4-1 but took the second contest 3-1 to stay one game back of Hood River in the CRC.   Columbia 4, LaCenter 3 Columbia 11, Riverside 0 Dufur sweeps Sherman 10-8 and 10-3. LaSalle sweeps Goldendale 8-4 and 17-4     Softball Pendleton sweeps The Dalles 13-1 and 12-2:  The Buckaroos take a two-game lead over the Riverhawks atop the Columbia River Conference standings.   Hood River Valley sweeps Hermiston 10-8 and 9-6:  The Eagles scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to win game one, then held off a late Bulldog rally in game two.   LaCenter 12, Columbia 1 Columbia splits with Irrigon, winning the opener 13-7 but falling in game two 14-10.   Track and Field Hood River Valley’s girls were fifth and the boys sixth at the Summit Invitational in Bend.  Jestena Mattson won the 100 meters, 200 meters, and high jump for the HRV girls, while Sebastian Barajas won the shot put and discus for the Eagle boys.   Both The Dalles boys and girls finished tenth at the Kiwanis Invitational in Hermiston.  Katie Conklin had the top finish for the Riverhawks, taking second in the high jump.   Goldendale was the boys’ winner and Condon-Wheeler took the girls’ title at the Condon-Wheeler Invitational.  Brian Golding won three events and Dillon Rising two for the Timberwolf boys, while Gabe Montoya won a pair for Lyle-Wishram.  Taylor Darden of Dufur, Lexi Grenvik of Sherman and Ocean Bryan of Goldendale won two events each in girls’ competition.   Columbia cruised to the girls title while the CHS boys finished second behind Hockinson in the Bruin Invitational in White Salmon.  Claire Anderson, Aidan Liddiard, and Stacia Bell won two events each for the CHS girls, while Madison McCrum of Stevenson also won a pair of events.   Salvador Ramirez finished second in the 1500 meters to lead the Horizon Christian effort at the Portland Christian Invitational.   Boys Soccer Stevenson 10, Castle Rock 1

A small fire at the Commodore Building in The Dalles early Friday morning set off the building sprinkler system, leading to water damage in a number of units in the facility.  The Dalles Police Chief Jay Waterbury termed the fire “very small” and an investigation is underway.  Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue Division Chief Jay Wood said activation of the sprinkler system left five units in the building uninhabitable, displacing seven people and at least three animals.  Damage occurred on the first floor, second floor, and in the basement.  The American Red Cross is assisting those who have been displaced.  The fire occurred around 4:45 a.m. Friday.

Wasco County Sheriff Rick Eiesland says his department has ruled the death of an inmate earlier this week at the Northern Oregon Regional Corrections Facility in The Dalles was a suicide.  Eiesland said Friday they are awaiting a full report from the state medical examiner’s office before the exact cause of 52-year-old Michael Scott Linden’s death is determined.  Linden was found in his cell by another inmate, who notified jail personnel.  Eiesland says the investigation by his office is continuing, but has found NORCOR officials had done their regular cell checks, and an ambulance arrived at the jail promptly after the inmate had told jail officials of the situation.  Eiseland added Linden left a written log of that morning, which Eiseland indicated showed some depression and that the charges Linden was facing weighed heavily on him.  Linden had been arrested in Hood River County earlier in the month on a number of different charges, including rape and kidnapping.  The sheriff also said Linden’s death was unfortunate, and he “wished we could have done something to prevent this.”

The Northwest Cherry Festival gets rolling in its newly expanded form in The Dalles on Friday.  The Open Air Market, carnival, and entertainment stage all begin operation at 2 p.m. Friday, with activity planned through Sunday.  The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson reminds people that the festival is headquartered on First Street this year.  Cherry Festival guides are available at gorgeradio.com.  The Bicoastal Media/Guild Mortgage Home and Lifestyle Show will take place through the festival at the Civic Auditorium, open 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.  Admission is free.