The Wasco County Commission will hold its budget hearing on Wednesday.  Commission Chair Steve Kramer says they are able to continue services at their current level.  Kramer feels the most significant element of the budget is advancing their contribution to the Public Employees Retirement System in an effort to get out ahead of expected increases.  He says $3.8 million is the amount budgeted for the County’s PERS contribution for 2019-20 in an effort to get ahead of the system’s unfunded liability.  Kramer says the move should save them about $275,000 in the fiscal year 2020-21 budget.  Wednesday’s meeting with hearings on the County budget along with the Extension and Library service district budgets begins at 1 p.m. in the Wasco County Courthouse.

The Dalles City Council approved a municipal budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year, but not before a great deal of discussion on the level of funding for two programs.  Councilors heard testimony advocating the level of funding for the Main Street program be increased from the $35,000 in the budget to $60,000, and YouthThink from $15,000 to $35,000.  Councilor Darcy Long-Curtiss felt the City should make the increases because of the value the programs provide to the community, noting in the case of YouthThink that it should use proceeds from marijuana taxes to help with its drug use prevention education among young people.  Fellow Councilor Rod Runyon noted while he supported both programs, they had the ability to be flexible and make changes down the road.  Other councilors were reticent to reduce the City’s contingency funds.  Councilors voted 4-1 to approve the budget, with Long-Curtiss voting no.

Softball

Makenzie Chambers selection as co-player of the year highlighted a contingent of four Hood River Valley Eagles being selected to the Oregon Class 5A all-state softball squad.  Chambers, who hit .569 with nine home runs and 68 runs batted in, shared player of the year honors with Kiara McCrea of Hillsboro, and was selected as first team catcher.  Also receiving first team honors were outfielder Haylee Baker and designated hitter Aunika Yasui, while pitcher Lauren Decker was named to the second team.  The Dalles’ Kilee Hoylman was named to the third team infield.

Beach Wrestling

Four Hood River wrestlers won titles at the state Beach Wrestling Championships over the weekend in Hood River.  Chad Muenzer won at high school middleweight, Clayton Morris-Reade at high school light heavyweight, Cody Durham in high school heavyweight, and Nigel Bond in open heavyweight.  Dusty Dodge of The Dalles was first in high school heavy middleweight.

When the Hood River County Commission meets next Monday for its 2019-20 budget hearing, they will hold their regular worksession beforehand, and one of the subjects will be direction for another try at a tax measure if they want to do so.  Commission Chair Mike Oates says the direction needs to be determined on a number of different levels, including whether they want to go out and what for, when to do it, and getting someone to help them do it.  If the County wants to put a tax measure on the November ballot, they must file in August, leaving only two months to go through all the steps that are necessary to make it happen.  A start time for next Monday’s worksession in the County Administration Building has not yet been determined, but County Administrator Jeff Hecksel said it will be no earlier than 4 p.m.

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley will hold town halls in Wasco and Hood River counties on Saturday.  The first town hall will be at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center at noon on Saturday.  The second will be at the Wy’east Middle School Performing Arts Center in Odell, and begins at 3:30 p.m.

Those picked for the second year of the GorgeWorks summer internship program are beginning their nine-week jobs.  Port of The Dalles Executive Director Andrea Klaas says ten applicants were hired by area businesses this summer.  A cross-section of businesses are taking part in the program.  This is the final year the Port of The Dalles will be running the GorgeWorks program.  Klaas says it will move to The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, with a grant from the Eastern Oregon Workforce Investment Board allowing the hiring of a program coordinator.

Work to place new HVAC equipment on the roof of the Commodore II Apartments in The Dalles will force the closure of one lane of road in the downtown area on Tuesday.  The north traffic lane of West 3rd Street between Court and Washington will be closed, while the parking spots on both sides of the street will be used.  The south lane of West 3rd through that area will remain open during the work.  A crane is scheduled to arrive at 9 a.m. Tuesday, and work should be done and the north lane re-opened by 3 p.m.

A number of high school graduation ceremonies are planned for Friday and Saturday around the region.  Hood River Valley High School’s graduation ceremony is at 6 p.m. Friday evening in Henderson Stadium, while Goldendale High School will hold its ceremonies at 7 p.m.  The Dalles High School’s graduation procession will take place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday on Amaton Field.  Other graduation ceremonies Saturday will take place at Columbia, Stevenson, Horizon Christian, South Wasco, Lyle, and Glenwood high schools.  Trout Lake High School holds its graduation next Friday night, while ceremonies took place last weekend at Dufur, Sherman, and Klickitat high schools.

Both The Dalles and Hood River city councils meet on Monday night.  The Dalles City Council meeting will be highlighted by a public hearing on the budget for fiscal year 2019-20.  In addition, the Council will consider adoption of an Americans with Disabilities Act Transition plan to upgrade transportation systems to fully accommodate people with disabilities.  The meeting begins Monday at 5:30 p.m. in The Dalles City Hall.  The Hood River City Council’s meeting will discuss how to proceed with picking a new Mayor when Paul Blackburn steps down from the position in September.  Their meeting will start at 6 p.m. Monday in Hood River City Hall.

The White Salmon Valley Education Foundation has been selected by the Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health to receive funding for a Medicaid Transformation Project focused on bringing mental health and substance use services directly to students and families in the White Salmon Valley School District for the upcoming 2019-20 school year.   A portion of the $75,000 that the Foundation will receive will support a coordinator position that will aid the integration of a new school-based Health and Wellness Center in the district.  The Coordinator will develop and manage programs to educate school staff on care pathways and processes, and support other professional development opportunities related to mental health, substance use disorder risks and early intervention.  The project will be conducted in collaboration with local partners including NorthShore Medical Group, Comprehensive Healthcare, Skyline Family Medicine, Klickitat County Public Health, and the White Salmon Valley School District.