The City of White Salmon is working on a new comprehensive land use plan.  Mayor David Poucher says they have contracted with a firm to help develop it.  Poucher says they decided to do a new plan rather than make revisions to the current one, and bringing it more in line with what is happening today.  He adds White Salmon is changing, but there is a lot of demand to keep the small town nature of the community.  Poucher expects the new plan to be done in about a year.

There will not be many contested races in Klickitat County this fall as the filing period for local offices came to a conclusion.  One contested race will be to succeed White Salmon Mayor David Poucher, who is not seeking re-election.  Current City Councilor Marla Keethler is opposed by Douglas Charters for that office.  Three people filed for position four on the Skyline Hospital District Board:  Bill Hollander, Ricky Knowles, and Karleen Swarztrauber.  Dana Robison-Miller and Brendan Norman are seeking position one on the Trout Lake School Board, Beth Schroder and Kent Apostol are running for position one on the Goldendale School Board, and Craig Stephens, David McNeill, and Bill Clark are candidates for position one on the Dallesport Water District Commission.

There will be pair of contested Stevenson-Carson School District board seats on the ballot this fall in Skamania County.  Andra Mobley and Sandy Vigil are seeking position one, while Dan Fuller and Jeanette Foster are running for position five.  In North Bonneville, Judie Whitcomb and Mike Riley are the candidates for City Council position five.  And Mary Repar and Gary Collins are running for position one on the Home Valley Water District Commission.

Oregon Class 1A Baseball Playoffs

First Round

Lakeview 5, Dufur 0:  Alex Smith threw a complete game shutout for the Honkers.  Jalen Lampmann and Bjorn Erickson combined to go 4-for-6 with three runs driven in to pace the Lakeview offense.

Oregon Girls Lacrosse Association

Semi-finals

Lake Oswego 20, Hood River Valley 8:  Katie Freeman scored six goals as the Lakers ended the Eagles’ season.

Washington and Oregon fishery managers will host a public meeting in The Dalles on Wednesday to discuss sturgeon fishing regulations upstream of Bonneville Dam.  Among the topics of discussion are possible rule changes meant to improve conservation efforts and increase the abundance and survival of mature spawning-size sturgeon.  Those include extending the dates of all sturgeon spawning sanctuaries in the Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to Priest Rapids Dam through August 31.  Most are currently in effect from May 1 through July 31.  Also to be discussed is extending the area of the spawning sanctuaries on the Columbia River below McNary and Priest Rapids dams.  The meeting will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife screen shop on 3561 Klindt Drive in The Dalles.

The Columbia Gorge Express will launch its expanded summer schedule on June 15.  It will expand for the summer to eight departures a day from the Gateway Transit Center to Rooster Rock State Park and Multnomah Falls, and three of those trips will continue east to Cascade Locks and Hood River.  The service started in 2016 and operated for its first two years from May to September and only between the Gateway Transit Center and Multnomah Falls.  Last year, the service expanded to seven days a week and added stops in Cascade Locks and Hood River.  Riders this summer will benefit from a more convenient bus stop location in Cascade Locks and new amenities at the Hood River bus stop, including landscaping, signage, and artwork.  Service will scale back in late September for the slower fall and winter months.

The countdown is on to turn in ballots for this year’s special districts election in Oregon.  Ballots must be delivered to County election offices or designated drop boxes by 8 p.m. on Tuesday.  In Hood River County, take ballots to the elections’ office on 601 State Street in Hood River or to Cascade Locks City Hall.  In Wasco County, drop ballots off at the County Courthouse on 511 Washington in The Dalles or at Maupin City Hall.  Board positions for ports, school districts, and other various special districts are on this year ballot.  In Hood River County there are two tax measures on the ballot:  a five percent prepared food and beverage tax and a five-year local-option property tax levy that County officials say are needed to maintain County services.  In Wasco County the White River Health District has a five-year local-option tax for general operations on the ballot.

The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office says a series of recent operations by the Mid-Columbia Interagency Narcotics Task Force resulted in multiple arrests for possession and distribution of controlled substances.  Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office, operating as part of MINT, conducted a series of operations in recent weeks that resulted in the arrest of five people on controlled substance charges.  Three people were each arrested on possession and delivery charges in the city of Hood River, including delivery within 1,000 feet of a school.  A fourth was also arrested on possession and delivery charges in close proximity to a dance studio, and a fifth was arrested in Cascade Locks on possession and delivery charges, and was also listed as a fugitive from another state.  The Mid-Columbia Interagency Narcotics Task Force consists of detectives from the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, The Dalles Police Department and the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office.  Anyone with information is encouraged to call the MINT Tipline at 541-296-1885.

As work continues on the environmental impact statement for a potential replacement of the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge, the question of how to fund the next phase of that project begins to crop up.  Port of Hood River Executive Director Michael McElwee says that next phase could cost up to 25 million dollars if a significant level of engineering was done, or it could be four to five million dollars to get to the point where a federal grant application could be prepared.  The EIS record of decision is expected at the end of 2020.

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce is taking entries for the Gorge Hops and Hogs Fest Barbecue Challenge coming up in mid-June.        The Chamber’s Lisa Farquharson says they have a few entries so far, but they can handle up to twenty, and anyone is eligible.  The will be three categories for competition:  pork ribs, tri-tip, and chicken thighs.  The Gorge Hops and Hogs Fest will be Saturday, June 15 at Lewis and Clark Festival Park in The Dalles.  To sign up for the barbecue challenge go to gorgehopsandhogs.com.