Hood River has been named as one of a dozen locations in the Northwest to be added to an expanded list of U.S. Forest Service “listening sessions” on revisions to the Northwest Forest Plan.  The date and time of the Hood River session has not yet been announced.  It will deal with management plan revision plans for the Mt. Hood and Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.  The sessions will include the Forest Service discussing its current thinking on plan revision and how science will inform the process and receiving ideas and thoughts on how to engage the public for plan revisions on each forest.  Only three sessions had been planned for the region initially, but many in the Northwest Congressional delegation called on the Forest Service to schedule more in forest communities.

Softball Hood River Valley 9, LaSalle 6:  HRV mounted a huge comeback in a game that had been suspended in the 3rd inning two weeks ago with LaSalle ahead 6-0.  The Eagles won for the fourth time in five games to run their record to 6-7. The Dalles 11, Mountain View 8:  The Riverhawks banged out 16 hits on the way to the win in Central Oregon.  The Dalles scored six runs in the fourth inning to take a 10-1 lead, then had to hang on through a Cougar comeback that saw the home team score five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.   Baseball The Dalles 9, Mountain View 8, 9 innings:  Colin Noonan’s double in the top of the ninth brought home the game winning run.  The Dalles had scored a run in the top of the seventh to force extra innings in a contest the Riverhawks trailed in most of the way.   Boys Golf Goldendale defeated Horizon Christian by 24 shots in a nine-hole match at Goldendale Golf Club.  The Timberwolves’ Andrew Bigcheck carded the low score of the match, coming in with a 43.

Port of The Dalles and Columbia Gorge Regional Airport officials will be in Kent later this week for a trade show bringing together representatives of companies in the Northwest involved in developing unmanned aerial vehicles.  Port Marketing Director Kathy Ursprung says they are seeking tenants for both the Port’s new Columbia Gorge Industrial Center and the new industrial park near the airport in Dallesport.  She says with Insitu in the area, the Gorge region is well positioned to realize the benefits of further growth in the UAV industry.  Ursprung says the eastern part of the Gorge can offer a good workforce supply along with land that isn’t available further to the west.

Hood River County Commission Chair Ron Rivers expects a study of the current County Courthouse and whether it should be replaced or renovated will take about six months to complete.  The study will be a part of the County’s 2015-16 fiscal year budget, and will be partially paid for by the state, which in a study a few years ago ranked Hood River’s courthouse near the bottom, particularly in the area of security.  Rivers says the County study will include the County Administration Building, and what other facility needs it might find.  The state report put a price tag of over 20 million dollars for a new courthouse.  Rivers says renovation is an option, but added if it is found a new courthouse is needed, it would probably require a bond measure to pay for construction of a facility.  

Washington Third District Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler has been appointed vice-chair of the Financial Services and Government Oversight Appropriations Subcommittee.  That panel sets spending levels for a number of federal agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, Federal Trade Commission, and Federal Communications Commission.  It also has jurisdiction over numerous departments, including the Postal Service and the executive office of the President.  Herrera Beutler has been on the Appropriations Committee since January of 2013.

Track and Field Hood River Valley’s boys were second and girls third at the Sandy Invitational.  For the boys, Justiin Crosswhite won the 1500 meters, Sebastian Barajas the discus, and Parker Kennedy the pole vault, while South Wasco’s Loreto Morelli won both the 100 and 400 meters.  HRV’s Jestena Mattson won both the girls’ 200 meters and the high jump, while Emily Viukhola was first in the 400 meters, and the four by 100 meter relay team was victorious.   The Dalles’ girls were eighth and the boys 11th at the Willamette Falls Invitational at Oregon City.  Katie Conklin led the Riverhawk girls’ effort with a second place finish in the triple jump and a third in the 100 meter hurdles.  Sant Strassheim was third in the boys’ 300 meter hurdles.   Goldendale’s won both the boys and girls team titles at the Dick Hornya Invitational in Stanfield.  Brian Golding won the boys’ 400 meters, 110 meter hurdles, and 300 meter hurdles, while Ocean Bryan won the girls’ 400 meters and 300 meter hurdles.   At the Meet of Champions in Salem, Dufur’s Taylor Darden won the girls’ discus.   Baseball Hood River Valley 10, Mountain View 0:  Kam Walker pitched a no-hitter in the six inning win. Sherman sweeps The Dalles Freshmen 13-8 and 14-4 Cle Elum/Roslyn sweeps Goldendale 6-1 and 9-3   Softball Reynolds 7, The Dalles 3 Cle Elum/Roslyn sweeps Goldendale 27-1 and 12-0   Boys Lacrosse Bend 12, Hood River Valley 4   Girls Lacrosse Newberg 11, Hood River Valley 8   Boys Tennis Naches Valley 3, Goldendale 1   Girls Tennis Naches Valley 5, Goldendale 0

Google is opening up its newly constructed data center expansion in The Dalles.  The new third building required about 19 months to build, and was estimated to cost $600,000,000.  Local Operations Manager Dave Karlson says they are just into the process of moving people and equipment into the facility.  According to Google, the company has invested one-point-two billion dollars in The Dalles and provided over 80 full-time jobs.  Local governments are going to receive about $800,000 a year for 15 years as a result of a tax abatement agreement with Google reached when plans for the new facility were formulated.  That money, along with a $1,200,000 payment at the time the deal was agreed to, will be split between the City of The Dalles and Wasco County.

Oregon 52nd District State Representative Mark Johnson has filed a priority bill calling for all of any increase in the May revenue forecast to go to the K-12 education budget, rather than 40 percent as called for by the budget passed in both chambers of the Legislature.  The Hood River Republican, who also serves on the Hood River County School District Board, says the current budget is inadequate, and hopes he can get his bill to a public hearing and work session.  He believes some majority Democrats want to vote for this kind of bill, but whether their leadership would let them is a question.  Johnson is joined by 26th District Senator Chuck Thomsen as chief sponsor of House Bill 3538.

Oregon State Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli is proposing recreational marijuana sales being in medical marijuana dispensaries when possession becomes legal July 1.  The 30th District Republican does not feel it makes any sense to not begin sales when possession is legal.  He says without provide an option for purchase; those wishing to consume marijuana will continue to purchase it through the black market.  The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is charged with putting together the recreational marijuana sales system.  It is not expected to have that ready until late 2016.

Hood River County School District board members were told this week if the state K-12 education budget does not change from what has passed in both chambers of the Legislature, the district would have to make about $900,000 in reductions to balance its 2015-16 budget.  Board member and state legislator Mark Johnson says there are different scenarios to reach that mark, and none of them are very palatable.  The district will hold its first budget committee meeting on May 6, where Superintendent Dan Goldman and his staff will present a proposed budget document.