Hood River County Sheriff’s deputies are searching for a suspect in an assault early Thursday morning in Cascade Locks.  According to the Sheriff’s Office, a 69-year-old man was walking his dog along the 100 block of Wa Na Pa Street at about 3 a.m. Thursday when he was struck from behind by a blunt object.  The suspect fled the scene before the victim could obtain any identifying information.  The victim was able to get to his home where the call to 911 was made.  He was treated for injuries sustained in the assault at a local hospital and was later released.  Responding deputies canvassed the area but did not find any potential suspects.  The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information about this crime should contact the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 541-387-7077.

The Westside Fire District in Hood River County is seeking a renewal of its five-year operating levy during the November 5 election.  The District has a base tax rate of 78 cents per one-thousand dollars of assessed property value, and in 2014 voters approved the 50 cent operating levy.  District board member John Beeman says the levy covers day-to-day operating expenses.  District officials say the cost of providing fire and emergency medical services goes up at a rate of about five percent per year, and emergency calls and services have tripled in the last ten years with community growth.

 

Fisheries managers from Oregon and Washington will reopen the Columbia River to recreational sturgeon and coho fishing.  In a joint state hearing of the fish and wildlife departments from both states, fisheries managers decided to open the river for two additional days of recreational sturgeon fishing –Saturday and this coming Thursday – from the Wauna power lines at River Mile 40 upstream to the fishing deadlines at Bonneville Dam, including the Cowlitz River.  The states also decided to reopen the mainstem Columbia to retention of coho salmon beginning today and continuing through October 31, from the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upstream to The Dalles Dam.  Only hatchery coho may be retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge.  All steelhead and all salmon except coho must be released.

Biannual bridge deck maintenance welding on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge will begin Monday at 9 a.m. and continue until the work is complete.  While the work is weather dependent, bridge users should plan for delays or seek alternate routes on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the next two weeks.  Flaggers will direct traffic around the moving work zone throughout the week.  Expect delays and drive slowly for worker safety.  For more information, contact the Port of Hood River via email to porthr@gorge.net.

Boys Soccer

Ridgeview 1, Hood River Valley 0:  The Ravens scored the game’s only goal to move into a share of first place in the Intermountain Conference with HRV.

 

Girls Soccer

Ridgeview 2, Hood River Valley 1:  The Ravens handed the Eagles their first conference loss of the season, and now the two teams are tied for first in the IMC.

Castle Rock 4, Stevenson 0

King’s Way Christian 2, Columbia 0

 

Volleyball

Ridgeview def. The Dalles 25-18, 25-6, 25-12

Redmond def. Hood River Valley 14-25, 25-11, 25-21, 25-15

King’s Way Christian def. Columbia 25-8, 25-13, 25-18

Castle Rock def. Stevenson 25-5, 25-3, 25-10

South Wasco def. Mitchell-Spray 25-20, 25-16, 25-20

Sherman def. Condon 25-20, 25-19, 25-18

Yakama Tribal def. Klickitat-Glenwood 25-21, 25-19, 25-22

Goldendale def. Zillah 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 17-25, 15-11…The Timberwolves stay unbeaten in the SCAC West.

 

Cross Country

The Dalles boys were second to Baker, and the girls second to Enterprise at the Wildhorse Invitational in Pendleton.  Justin Peck of Trout Lake finished second in the boys race, while Hanna Ziegenhagen of The Dalles took fifth in the girls’ run.

Ellie Rising and Kimberly Chestnut had a one-two finish to lead the Goldendale girls to the win a four-school SCAC meet.  The Timberwolf boys finished third, topped by a seventh place finish by Corbin Riley.

 

Boys Water Polo

Grant 13, Hood River Valley 8

 

The White Salmon City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to override Mayor David Poucher’s veto of a single-use plastic bag ban ordinance.  Poucher says he is in favor of the plastic bag ban, but he was opposed to a mandatory ten-cent charge for paper bags included in the ordinance.  Councilor Marla Keethler noted the City went through a long process to reach this ordinance, and the issue may well come up again.  Keethler also said the emphasis of the ordinance wasn’t necessarily to ban plastic bags but to require a higher level of plastic bag as an option and to make the fee for paper bags more transparent.  Poucher felt government should not be telling businesses what to charge for any item.

Skyline Hospital is asking voters in west Klickitat County for a levy lid lift for the first time since 1997.  Klickitat County Public Hospital District #2 is asking taxpayers to raise the lid from 31 cents to 68 cents per thousand dollars of assessed property value.  District board member Jonathan Blake says they are looking to create a more consistent revenue stream to prepare for future needs.  Nearly 71 percent of Skyline’s charges were billed to Medicare and Medicaid insurances, which only reimburse for associated costs with caring for patients, so hospital CEO Robb Kimmes says they will never do better than break even on more than 70 percent of the patients it cares for.

Cross Country

Columbia defeated Stevenson in a Trico League dual meet on Strawberry Island.  The Bruins’ Jacob Lockman won the boys’ race, and Joules Hope of CHS was the girls’ winner.

The White Salmon Valley School District is working on a new communication plan in the aftermath of last month’s situation where social media rumors about a threat to the Columbia High School campus led to a number of parents pulling students out of school.  Superintendent Jerry Lewis says they are taking what they learned from going through the experience and the input they received at a later public forum to put together a mass communication protocol.  Lewis hopes the communication plan is finished by next month.

Municipal voters in Hood River are being asked to vote on an initiative that would amend the City Charter to require a public vote before the City can “dispose” of a City park, including a sale, lease, or transfer of property rights unless it is to enhance recreation for the public.  One of the proponents, Tracy Tomahspool, believes changing the charter is the only sure protection for parks.  Opponents believe the measure hinders the City Council’s ability to manage municipal assets.  The measure is on the November 5 ballot.