Klickitat County is working on a hazard mitigation plan.  The County held public meetings this month to update progress on the project funded through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  Part of the plan’s objective was to determine vulnerabilities in the County’s preparedness, and Klickitat County Emergency Management Director Jeff King says some of what they have found shows the need for replacement of aging facilities and equipment or acquiring some things that haven’t existed at all.  He notes many of their smaller fire districts have tax bases that are barely enough to cover operations, and even larger districts have equipment dating back to the 1970’s.  King says the intent is to have the plan ready by the end of the year, and then reviewed and updated every five years.

Community College in Oregon did get a bit of good news coming out of the state’s legislative session.  After initially expecting to be flat funded, Columbia Gorge Community College President Marta Yera-Cronin says they received a bit more than expected, but still well under what the institutions sought.  Yera-Cronin says CGCC is having to raise tuition by $5 per credit.  She adds the school has historically tried to pick up the losses from the state without passing it on to students, but there reaches a point where they have to increase tuition.

The City of The Dalles is embarking on a review of its charter for the first time in 25 years.  Mayor Rich Mays says Councilors felt it was time to go through it and see if they have changes that should be presented to voters.  An ad-hoc committee comprised of the City Clerk, City Attorney, Assistant to the City Manager, and two councilors will do the review.  Mays says he intentionally stayed off the committee as some of the review may consider changes in the role of the Mayor’s position.  This committee will meet two to four times over the summer and fall of 2019, and updates would be brought back to the Council as a resolution early next year so the charter could be placed on the May 2020 ballot.

There was plenty of lightning in the eastern portion of the Mid-Columbia on Tuesday evening, particularly over Klickitat County, but luckily there were no major fires as a result.  Klickitat County Emergency Management Director Jeff King says they had an enormous surge of 9-1-1 calls and fire response from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Many of the storm cells were accompanied by large amounts of rain.  King noted emergency responders throughout the County continue today to look for lightning strike fires that could pop up.  King added crews that were on the Juniper Fire that occurred over the weekend in the Bickleton area were demobilized Tuesday.

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is prohibiting all campfires, open flames and propane fire rings in Memaloose, Viento, and Ainsworth state parks as of 8 a.m. Wednesday morning.  The ban applies to all areas in those parks and will be in effect until further notice from OPRD.  Columbia River Gorge state parks manager Clay Courtright says recent high temperatures and strong winds in the Gorge have elevated the danger of accidental, human-caused wildfires.  The ban applies to wood, charcoal, wood pellets and all other flame sources that cannot be extinguished immediately.  Propane fire rings are prohibited as well, including smaller propane rings that may fit inside or on top of existing campground fire rings.  Other valve-operated flame sources, such as liquid fuel cooking devices, are allowed under the ban, but cannot be left unattended.  Smoking is allowed under the ban, but still subject to existing rules about smoking in Oregon State Parks.

The Hood River County Fair is underway in Odell, starting its four-day run that will continue through Saturday.  Wednesday’s events include the 4-H Style Review at 6 p.m. on the Park Stage, the Dancing Horses at 7 p.m. in the Frank Herman Arena, and Frank Sinatra impersonator Jamie Goetz at 7:30 on the Park Stage.  On Thursday it will be Senior Day, with admission for Hood River County residents over the age of 62 just $5.  Thursday also includes ranch sorting at the Frank Herman Arena with practice at 1 p.m. and jackpot sorting at 4 p.m.  And Buddy Holly impersonator Jesse Holyk will perform at 7:30 Thursday evening on the Park Stage.

Hood River City Councilors voted to allow an initiative measure to amend the City Charter to require approval from municipal voters before parks could be sold or transferred for any purpose not related to public recreation to go to the ballot in November without any formal action.  The measure stems from the Council’s approval to move forward with rezoning of Morrison Park property for an affordable housing project, which is currently the subject of an appeal to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals.  In discussion most of the Council felt the charter amendment was not the path to take on that subject, with Mark Zanmiller noting Councilors were elected to make such decisions and citizens can vote them out if they are unhappy with them.  But both Tim Counihan and Erick Haynie voted against the motion, with Counihan saying they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble by putting the Morrison Park housing proposal itself on the ballot, and Haynie said municipal park land is a public asset, not the Council’s.

The Dalles City Council has committed a maximum of $100,000 towards maintenance and preservation of the Riverfront Trail, while authorizing City Manager Julie Krueger to work with community partners to find more funding.  Dan Durow of the Riverfront Trail Committee and Scott Baker of the Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District said the trail needs about $300,000 in maintenance.  Mayor Rich Mays is a frequent trail user, and he says after 25 years there is maintenance that needs to be done, including crack sealing.  The nonprofit Riverfront Trail Committee transferred the maintenance of the trail to the Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District, while continuing to fundraise for current and future repairs to the trail.

A 36-year-old man has not been located and is presumed to have drowned after the tube he was floating the Deschutes River in capsized.  According to the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, Jonathan Jensen of The Dalles was last seen late Sunday afternoon standing in the water.  When the group Jensen was with returned to assist him, he was gone.  Multiple agencies responded, and a search of the river and its banks late Sunday and Monday could not locate Jensen.  The Sheriff’s Office says Jensen is presumed to have drowned.  Search and rescue teams from Wasco, Sherman, Hood River, Klickitat, and Skamania counties were all involved in the search effort.

The Hood River County Fair gets underway Wednesday and continues through Saturday in Odell.  Fair Manager Clara Rice says they will have some new attractions this year, including the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum sharing the Wy’east Blue gymnasium with OMSI, which is returning to the fair for the first time in a number of years.  Another new attraction is a stingray display where people can buy food and feed them.  Park stage attractions on Wednesday include the 4-H Style Show at 6 p.m. and Frank Sinatra impersonator Jamie Goetz at 7:30 p.m.  Discounted bracelets good for a full day of carnival rides are on sale for $20 until 5 p.m. Wednesday at the fairgrounds office along with Mid Valley Market, Pine Grove Market, McIssac’s, Columbia State Bank in Hood River and White Salmon, Hood River Supply in Hood River and Odell, and Juanita’s in Hood River and The Dalles.