North Central Public Health District says it has been notified of two school-age residents from separate communities within the district that encompasses Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties with lab confirmed pertussis, also known as whooping cough, over the past couple of weeks.    District officials point out pertussis is a vaccine preventable disease, but can be very serious and deadly for young babies who do not have the protection of the vaccine.  The Health District is strongly recommending the pertussis vaccination for those who are eligible for it.  Vaccines are available for a fee through your healthcare provider or NCPHD.  Children may qualify for reduced cost or free vaccines at NCPHD.  Remember to cover your cough with a tissue or an elbow, wash your hands after coughing or sneezing, and stay home when sick.

The Klickitat County Fair gets underway Thursday in Goldendale.  Opening day features the kickoff barbecue and wine tasting, featuring food and wines produced in Klickitat County, beginning at 5 p.m.  Cost is $8 per plate.  The fair continues through the weekend, with the rodeo scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.  The annual fair parade through downtown Goldendale is on Saturday, with participants assembling at Goldendale Elementary School at 9 a.m. and the parade starting at 10 a.m.  Complete event information is available at klickitatcountyfair.com.

Leaders for Tomorrow…a high school program designed to show students the various business and community sectors and do a service-learning project, will be coming to The Dalles High School.  The program has been offered in Hood River for a number of years through The Next Door, Inc., and program coordinator Kristin Reese says they now have funding in place to offer it in The Dalles starting this fall.  Reese says grants allowed the expansion.  The program has usually been funded by business sponsors, which Reese says will still be a key part going forward.  Reese says they will begin recruiting students in The Dalles for the program when school starts in September.

The Oregon Department of Transportation says the Interstate 84 off-ramp at milepost 82 west of The Dalles is closed due to a grass fire at that location.  ODOT reports the fire may cause minimal delays on the freeway, so caution is advised.  The fire started around 2:30 p.m.  Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue crews are at the scene, but no other details are available at this time.

Both the Bingen and White Salmon City Councils will be voting on a new law enforcement agreement this week.  Bingen Mayor Betty Barnes says she and White Salmon Mayor David Poucher believe they have worked out a good agreement on a two-year deal and can move forward with the option to renew after a review.  Barnes noted negotiations took awhile as they ironed out a new system in which Bingen is simply paying White Salmon for police services.  White Salmon will pay Bingen for the equipment share they own as part of the deal.  Bingen councilors have the agreement on their agenda tonight, and White Salmon councilors will talk about it on Wednesday.

There is one week left for those interested in running for municipal offices in The Dalles and Hood River to file for the November election.  In The Dalles there are currently two contested seats, with Carolyn Wood seeking re-election to the at-large position and opposed by Taner Elliott, while Bill Dick looks to retain Position 3 and is being challenged by Russ Brown.  Mayor Steve Lawrence has filed for re-election, as has Position 1 Councilor Tim McGlothlin, but neither are opposed at this point.  In Hood River, Paul Blackburn and Greg Colt are both running to succeed Arthur Babitz as Mayor, but there have been no filings for City Council positions.  Filing deadlines are next Tuesday, August 26.  For information in The Dalles contact the City Clerk’s office by calling 541-296-5481, and in Hood River call the County Elections office at 541-386-1442.

The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting in Odell this morning that left a husband and wife wounded.  According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the property west of 3410 AGA Road this morning, and found the pair.  They have been identified as Gonzalo and Bertha Marquez both forty-six years of age and residents of Odell. The  male was transported via LifeFlight and female via ground to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland.   Sheriff Matt English indicated both are expected to survive.  Deputies recovered the firearm on scene, and English confirmed that no additional suspects are being sought at this time,  and there is no indication anyone else was involved in the incident.  The investigation is ongoing.

Cycle Oregon will get underway in The Dalles in just a couple of weeks.  The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson says setup crews will start coming in September 3, and riders will begin to arrive on September 5 to get ready for their trip two days later, returning to The Dalles on September 13.  Farquharson says with Cycle Oregon participants headquartering at Sorosis Park, a shuttle is being prepared to take cyclists downtown.  Farquharson says Cycle Oregon will be providing funding to different groups taking part in helping with the event.

A historic cabin built in 1940 by the Civilian Conservation Corps in Willard in Skamania County is going to be moved later this week to Peterson Prairie seven miles west of Trout Lake.  The cabin was the home of the former Willard Ranger Station in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest…serving as a combination tool house and bunkhouse for Forest Service personnel.  On Friday it will be loaded onto a trailer and moved to Peterson Prairie to replace the former guard station there, which was used by the public for many years as a recreational rental cabin before being destroyed by fire two years ago.  The building will be driven slowing over Forest Service roads 16 miles to its new home.  The cabin will be remodeled for recreation lodging use, with the exterior to be restored to its original 1940 appearance.  The Forest Service has worked with the Mt. Adams Institute in Trout Lake since last year on rehabilitation and restoration of the cabin.

The Port of Hood River is waiting for the “60 percent plan” from consultant Walker Macy for the pedestrian path on the western edge of the Nichols Boat Basin.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says once those plans are reviewed by the project advisory committee and the Port Commission, that should set the design to go forward with construction.  The “60% Plan” is due in late September, with construction hoped to begin in winter.  Port was successful in gathering $575,000 from two state grants.  Another $220,000 is budgeted for the project, which will act as a first phase for an eventual build out that is estimated to cost $2,000,000.