Work is underway to clear debris from the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail east of the Eagle Creek Fish Hatchery. The trail has been closed since heavy December 2025 rains triggered the Ruckel Creek landslide. The Oregon Department of Transportation says debris, including large boulders and trees, is up to 12 feet deep. ODOT crews are using heavy equipment to clear the trail between Eagle Creek and Cascade Locks. Travelers on the historic highway should use caution, and hikers must stay out of the closed area. The trail will remain closed during the work. Bicyclists must use Interstate 84 to get around the closure, and there is no safe detour for hikers. After debris is cleared this fall, the Forest Service will evaluate the trail and slope stability before reopening.
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Wildlife Officials Investigate Pathogen In John Day Bighorn Sheep
Oregon wildlife officials are investigating the first known cases of a pneumonia-causing respiratory pathogen in the John Day River bighorn sheep herd. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says several California bighorn sheep recently tested positive for Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, or M. ovi. The John Day herd is Oregon’s largest, with an estimated one-thousand sheep. ODFW is testing dead animals and surveying the canyon for additional sick sheep to determine how widespread the disease is. There is no known vaccine or treatment. Officials say contact with domestic sheep and goats, as well as exotic aoudad, can spread the pathogen. ODFW is working with tribal and other partners to develop a management plan. Anyone who finds a dead or sick bighorn sheep in the John Day River canyon is asked to contact ODFW.
S&R Training At Multnomah Falls On Sunday
Volunteers with Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue will conduct training at Multnomah Falls on Sunday. As a safety precaution, the Larch Mountain Trail, from the plaza to the top of the falls, will be closed on Sunday from 6 a.m. until midafternoon. The all-volunteer search and rescue team will practice rope and rescue skills on the steep slopes, while also removing trash from hard-to-reach areas around the falls. Forest Service officials say the work will help keep the popular recreation site clean and safe for visitors. Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue provides ground search and rescue resources to agencies across the region. Team members train regularly and remain on call around the clock.
CASA Volunteers Grow, But So Does Need
Columbia Gorge CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, has seen its ranks of volunteer advocates grow, but the need has been increasing as well. The agency serves Wasco, Hood River, and Sherman counties, advising courts on what is in the best interest of children. Executive Director Christopher Janetzko says in the just completed fiscal year, they saw the number of children they help rise to 100 for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. They still have about fifteen on a waiting list. Columbia Gorge CASA is in the midst of preparing for its winter volunteer trainings. Those who are interested in being a CASA volunteer can get more information at columbiagorgecasa.org.
Fly-In This Weekend
Hood River’s Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum will host its annual Fly-In this weekend at the museum and the adjacent Ken Jernstedt Airfield. WAAAM’s Stephanie Hatch says pilots from the region and beyond will be flying their aircraft in for the event. The fly-in and the museum will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Hatch does say that many of the planes start to fly out on Sunday. Admission is $25 for adults and $10 for kids. Get all the information at waaamuseum.org.
Huck Fest Weekend In Bingen
It’s Huckleberry Festival weekend in Bingen. Festivities begin this evening at 5 p.m. in Daubenspeck Park, and will continue all through the weekend. The festival’s Caralee Holtmann says the festival has been in existence for 64 years, and will feature music, kids activities, and of course huckleberries. There will also be the “Hucklebery Haven” with jams, jellies, barbecue sauce, shirts, sweatshirts and more. Holtmann adds they have a large selection of vendors. The Huckleberry Festival will go through downtown Bingen Saturday morning at 11 a.m. Daubenspeck Park is located on the north side of Highway 14.
High Lava Fire Closures Shrink
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is shrinking the High Lava Fire closure area east of Stabler. The updated closure now focuses only on areas where crews are still conducting fire suppression, mop-up and repair work. Several trails and trailheads are now open, including Siouxon, Zigzag Lake, East Fork, Horseshoe Falls, Huffman Peak and all trails in the Trapper Creek Wilderness. The Soda Peaks Trail is also accessible from the Trapper Creek trailhead. The West Crater Trail and trailhead, along with the Soda Peaks trailhead, remain closed. The High Lava Fire is 2,899 acres in size and 63 percent contained.
September 9 Prep Sports Roundup
Cross Country
Hood River Valley nabbed three of the top five places to win the boys’ half of the Northwest Oregon Conference preview meet at Blue Lake Park in Fairview. Joshua Carley finished second, Sam Schwager fourth, and Copeland Louis fifth as the Eagles easily outdistanced Centennial. In the girls’ race, HRV’s Savina Davis won as the only runner to record a time under 20 minutes and finished nearly 2:40 ahead of the field, while Sandy finished first in the team standings.
Girls Soccer
Columbia 7, Toutle Lake 0
MCCAC Begins Capital Campaign For Permanent Hood River Shelter Site
Mid-Columbia Community Action Council is beginning a capital campaign to create a permanent shelter location in Hood River that would include locations for community partners to provide services, similar to the Gloria Center in The Dalles. MCCAC plans to operate its 12 pallet shelters in Hood River currently located at 1733 Oak on a year-round basis beginning in November. Executive Director Leslie Naramore says they just signed a new lease on that property, but they are looking for a one to two acre location for a permanent operation. The capital campaign will be in two phases: one to purchase the land, the second for construction of the facility.
Klickitat Commissioners Reiterate Reasons For No Data Center Moratorium
Klickitat County Commissioners Ron Ihrig and Lori Zoller reiterated their reasons for not wanting to establish a moratorium on data centers during Wednesday’s Commission meeting. Ihrig says companies have been considering locating data centers in Klickitat County for years, and he doesn’t expect a rush of applications. He also thinks some people believe a moratorium stops data centers, and that is not the case. But Ihrig also said they need proceed quickly towards completing an ordinance. Zoller added a moratorium would bring another layer of process and actually delay an ordinance. Commissioner Todd Andrews had broached the idea of a moratorium, and many attendees at a Commission workshop last week urged taking that step.