Open enrollment for Medicare begins Tuesday and lasts through December 7.  Beneficiaries are encouraged to compare their current plans with other plans on the market.  Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance Medicare program analyst Lisa Emerson says there are more than two dozen plans to sift through.  Oregonians can find assistance online at SHIBA.oregon.gov, or by calling 1-800-722-4134.   Emerson says the assistance program is always looking for volunteers.                 

The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office has identified the body found near Mosier last Saturday as that of 45-year-old Kael Sean Moran.  The Sheriff’s Office says Moran was a resident of Wasco County who had been reported as a missing person in September by The Dalles Police.  The Oregon State Police Crime Lab entered fingerprints into a database to make the identification.  An examination by the state medical examiner’s office did not reveal any evidence that Moran’s death was anything but accidental in nature.  Moran’s body was found last Saturday in a ravine on private property above Mosier by a family out for a walk.  Anyone with knowledge or information about Moran’s movements since August 2019 should contact the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office at 541-506-2580.

 

A “Community Vision for Downtown The Dalles” will be the focus of meetings of The Dalles City Council and the Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency in the upcoming week.  The document was developed in a series of meetings involving downtown stakeholders, the public, and municipal officials.  It includes four vision statements encapsulating goals generated from input gathered at the meetings, along with graphics indicating downtown “improvement areas” and “opportunity sites.”  City Councilors and URA board members will be asked to review the vision statements.  The Council meets Monday at 5:30 p.m. and the URA board on Tuesday at 5:30, with both meetings at The Dalles City Hall.

The Port of Hood River says roadway asphalt repairs at the Oregon approach and bi-annual bridge deck maintenance welding will prompt several single-lane closures of the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge this month.  Bridge users should plan for delays or seek alternate routes from Monday at 8 p.m. to Tuesday at 2 a.m. for the asphalt work at the Oregon approach.  Welding crews will be on the bridge for maintenance of its deck the weeks of October 21 and October 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each weekday.  Flaggers will direct traffic around the work zones in all cases.  Port officials advise motorists to expect delays and drive slowly for worker safety.

Football

Hood River Valley 54, Putnam 40:  Trenton Hughes scored five touchdowns, four on passes by Ryan Gray, as the injury-depleted Eagles outscored the Kingsmen.

The Dalles 54, Woodburn 18:  The Riverhawks rolled up 520 yards of offense, as Okean Green ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns, while Gabe Helseth passed for 122 yards and two scores.

 

Girls Soccer

Hood River Valley 4, The Dalles 1:  HRV scored three goals in the second half to remain unbeaten in the Intermountain Conference.  Abby McCormack scored twice for the Eagles, while Vanesa Preciado and Mira Olson added goals for HRV.  Zara Voodre had the Riverhawk tally.

Columbia 2, Seton Catholic 0

LaCenter 4, Stevenson 2

 

Volleyball

LaCenter def. Stevenson 25-7, 25-3, 25-6

Columbia def. Seton Catholic 3 sets to 2

Dufur def. Arlington 3 sets to 1

South Wasco def. Condon 15-25, 25-20, 25-8, 25-12

 

Cross Country

Goldendale topped College Place and Zillah in an SCAC meet in Zillah.  Ellie Rising and Kimberly Chestnut had a one-two finish for the Timberwolves in the girls’ race with Goldendale claiming six of the top seven finishers.  Goldendale took fourth through eighth in the boys’ race, led by Sterling Beasley in fourth.

The Hood River Valley Harvest Festival opens on Friday for its three-day run.  Farmers, artisan food producers, wineries, cideries and artists from the region will be gathered at the Waterfront Event Site for the 37th annual event.   Kate Schroeder of the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce says Friday will see opportunities for local residents and seniors to get a head start on the anticipated tourists coming in over the weekend.  Seniors will be admitted for just $4 on Friday, while local residents on Friday will be admitted for $7.  Regular admission prices on Saturday and Sunday will be $8 for adults and $6 for seniors, with kids under 12 free.  The festival runs from 1 p.m. to  6 p.m. Friday, and will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Complete event details are available at hoodriver.org.

 

Cross Country

Trout Lake was first and Columbia second in the boys’ team standings at the Estacada Invitational.  Justin Peck won the race for Trout Lake, which had four of the top nine finishers.  Dylan Beneventi of CHS was fifth, and Horizon Christian’s Josiah Sohal was sixth.  In the girls’ run Trout Lake was second to Stayton with Columbia third and Horizon Christian fifth.  Columbia’s Joules Hope was top runner from the area in third place, with Myana Stock of Trout Lake fourth and Adoree Schlegal of Horizon Christian sixth.

 

Volleyball

Ridgeview def. Hood River Valley 25-6, 25-13, 25-10

North Wasco County School District 21 is continuing to progress on its community outreach for Student Success Act funding.  The state mandates districts go through an outreach process to determine the best use for the funds that would come from the Act that was approved by the 2019 Legislature, which for D-21 can provide two million dollars per year.  Superintendent Candy Armstrong says the state has asked districts to solicit feedback from various citizen groups.  D-21 also needs to finish its Continuous Improvement Plan finished by December.  The Hood River County School District will hold a “community conversation” on the Student Success Act on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Hood River Valley High School.

It is time to think about getting a flu shot.  Trish Elliott of the Hood River County Health Department says they will doing public clinics once again this year, and that schedule will be available soon.  But she notes with most pharmacies providing flu vaccine, it’s becoming easier for people to get their shots.  Elliott reminds people to wash hands frequently, cough into your elbow and not your hands, sleep well, stay hydrated, and stay home when sick to help prevent the spread of flu germs.

Work on the East Scenic Sanitary Sewer Project in The Dalles begins Thursday.   The project will take place on East Scenic Street between East 16^th and Jefferson Streets.  East Scenic will be closed to motorists on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. throughout construction, which is scheduled to end on November 27.  The street will remain to open traffic on evenings and weekends, and local residents will still have access to their homes.  Detour routes to get to Columbia Gorge Community College and Sorosis Park will use East 19^th and Jefferson, as well as East 16^th and East 14th to Terrace Drive.