The Next Door is looking for more foster parents in Hood River and Wasco counties.  The Next Door does therapeutic foster care for youth ages six to 18 who need a higher level of care typically due to trauma endured during their lives.  Foster parent recruiter Amy Lindley says they are always looking for new homes, either full-time or part-time.  There will be an information session on foster parenting on September 16 at Greater Oregon Behavioral Health offices at 401 East 3rd, Suite 101 in The Dalles from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Hood River County School District’s first new school building in nearly 50 years is hosting its first classes today.  Students were settling in to their routines in the new May Street Elementary School.  Principal Kelly Beard says everyone is thrilled with the new building, which he noted is not quite finished yet.  The outside envelope is not quite done, demolition of the old school continues, and construction of the parking lot and a play field is still to come.  A community grand opening for the new May Street School is planned for October 3 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Demolition of the old May Street building should be finished in a couple of weeks.

Firefighting efforts have been successful with limiting the size and spread of wildfires this summer, but there is a greater risk of wildfire due to abandoned campfires.  Mt. Hood National Forest firefighters have responded to over 250 human-caused, fire-related incidents since July 1.  While there are currently no fire restrictions on the Mt. Hood National Forest, abandoned campfires are still the leading cause of human-caused wildfires.  Campers need to drown the fire, stir the ash around so the water penetrates the hot coals, and before they leave, make sure it is cool to the touch.  The Forest Service reminds campers that if campfires are left to burn out naturally, embers are likely to escape the fire ring for several hours after visible flames have gone out.  It can take quite a lot of water to thoroughly drown a fire, so bring enough water to drown all remaining hot spots or embers.

The Dalles Art Center will host an exhibition of the work of Yvonne Pepin-Wakefield this month.  The show is called Unbound, and centers around the pomegranate, which Pepin-Wakefield has been painting, exhibiting, and publishing about for 40 years.  She says this exhibit includes ceramic pieces along with new paintings.  An opening reception for Unbound will be on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Dalles Art Center.  A dinner in association with Rooted in the Gorge at the Center featuring a talk from Pepin-Wakefield is set for September 28.  For complete information go to thedallesartcenter.org.

A 20-year-old man was arrested on a number of charges after reports of shots being fired early Friday morning near the 3000 block of Old Dufur Road in The Dalles.  The Dalles Police determined a taxi driver kicked two customers out of his taxi cab, and one of the disgruntled passengers discharged a handgun in the direction of the taxi, but neither the taxi nor the driver were struck by any bullets.  Police identified the man who fired the handgun as 20-year-old Jeffrey Michael Beck of The Dalles.  He was arrested and booked into NORCOR on 13 counts of unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of menacing, two counts of reckless endangering, and carrying a concealed firearm.  A statement from The Dalles Police Department indicates a number of spent casings and bullets were found near the suspected location of the shooting.  Police located video surveillance at a local grocery store which showed the two men getting into the taxi moments before the shooting occurred.  The incident is still under investigation and anybody with information is encouraged to call The Dalles Police Department at 541-296-2613.

The Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District is hoping to get a couple of projects in its recently completed master plan done in the next 18 to 24 months.  District Executive Director Scott Baker says the master plan is an ambitions document, but they want to do something quickly so community members know they were heard and the district is acting on their input.  City Park improvements, a dog park, or a mini-golf course at Thompson Park, or another smaller effort, they will try to focus on something in the $800,000 range that can be realistically done in a two-year time frame.  He said the district will pick two and seek grant funding, which will ultimately determine what gets done.  Baker points out the district collects systems development charges to help with future projects, but they need to leverage those for other monies to get the most out of them.

The Roy Webster Columbia River Cross Channel Swim will make its Cascade Locks debut on Labor Day morning.  The previous 74 took place in Hood River, but the swim hasn’t actually taken place since 2016 due to smoke from the Eagle Creek Fire in 2017 and high winds in 2018.  Hood River County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kate Schroeder says they once again have entrants from different parts of the country.  Schroeder did say they have had some cancellations, so there are opportunities to take part.  Call the Chamber at 541-386-2000.

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area plans to start prescribed burning in the eastern Gorge soon when the seasonal shift in weather occurs.  This year’s focus includes land east of Bingen and White Salmon and just west of the Klickitat River and Lyle.  Prescribed burning may occur at various times between September and January, depending on local conditions.  The actual day of ignition for the burns will be selected when factors such as humidity, wind speed and direction, temperature and moisture levels of understory vegetation help ensure a low intensity, well-controlled fire.  Burns only occur on days when the Washington State Smoke Management Office approves that weather conditions will aid in smoke dispersal.  Smoke may be visible on Highway 14 and Interstate 84 at times during the burns.  Once specific dates for burning are confirmed, details will be posted on the National Scenic Area’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.  Those with asthma can request to be on a special call list for advance notifications by contacting the National Scenic Area office at 541-308-1700.

A new domestic violence survivor resources poster to be featured in all Washington workplaces was unveiled Friday during a news conference in Yakima.  Washington 14th District State Representative Gina Mosbrucker of Goldendale was the prime sponsor of the bill requiring information about domestic violence be provided in the workplace.  Mosbrucker says the workplace can often be the only safe place for a domestic violence victim.  The poster will be produced and distributed by the Washington Employment Security Department, and will be available in English and Spanish.  It highlights the National Domestic Violence Hotline, provides information about online resources, and provides space for employers to list local domestic violence programs.

Volleyball

Weston-McEwen def. Dufur 25-16, 25-15, 25-7

Dufur def. Imbler 25-19, 25-23, 25-23

Stanfield def. South Wasco 25-23, 25-20, 25-19

Central Christian def. Sherman 3 games to 0