The search for a person missing since the boat they were in capsized in the Columbia River near the mouth of the White Salmon River on Wednesday will continue today (Thursday). The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office says reports of the capsized boat were received just after 11:30 Wednesday morning. Multiple law enforcement agency boats responded, and six people from the capsized vessel were pulled from the water and taken to shore, while two were transported to a hospital. A seventh person aboard has not yet been located. The Sheriff’s Office says an initial investigation determined the vessel was a 24-foot North River fishing boat that was last seen in the area of the green navigation buoy near the White Salmon inlet. Names of those on the boat have not yet been released. The initial search included the Hood River and Skamania County Sheriff’s Offices, Columbia River Intertribal Fisheries Officers, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and multiple civilian boats, plus a Hood River County Sheriff’s Office plane and a Coast Guard helicopter from the Astoria station.
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Dock Grade Road Closures Planned
White Salmon’s Dock Grade Road will be closed daily starting on Monday for the first phase of a wildfire resilience and forest health project. City officials say the contractor will be closing the road each day for two weeks to complete the necessary work. The closure on Monday will be from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and beginning Tuesday until Friday, October 11 the closure will be from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dock Grade Road will reopen each evening after work concludes. A crew will remain on-site after work is completed each day for a one-hour fire watch.
Chinook Retention Season Extended
Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington extended Chinook retention on the mainstem Columbia River for two additional weeks during a joint state hearing Wednesday. The decision came after fishery managers assessed harvest in the fall season fisheries and considered the in-season abundance expectations for upriver salmon and steelhead stocks. From West Puget Island to the Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco, Chinook retention will remain open through October 13 with a daily adult bag limit of two salmon, Chinook or coho, but only one may be a Chinook. Hatchery coho only is allowed downstream of the Hood River Bridge; all wild coho caught in this area must be released. From Buoy 10 to west Puget Island, Chinook retention will now remain open in the Buoy 10 fishery through October 13 with a daily adult bag limit of three salmon, Chinook or hatchery coho, but only one may be a Chinook. Between October 14 and October 31, three adult hatchery coho can be retained daily but Chinook must be released.
September 25 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Volleyball
The Dalles def. Gladstone 25-2, 25-10, 25-11
Cross Country
Hood River Valley had nine of the top 13 finishers to easily outpace Canby, Centennial, and Parkrose in the girls’ portion of a Northwest Oregon Conference meet at Molalla State Park. Syl Perrin’s individual second place finish topped the Eagle effort. HRV was the only school to field a complete varsity boys’ team. Logan King was third to lead the Hood River contingent.
Prescribed Burns Planned For Catherine Creek Drainage
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area fire management officials plan to implement two prescribed burns Wednesday and Thursday in the upper Catherine Creek Drainage between Bingen and Lyle. If weather conditions allow, the prescribed burns are anticipated to take two days to complete. The objective is to reduce long-term wildfire risk through reductions in existing fuel loading, to restore the ecological functions of a fire adapted ecosystem to the area, and to improve wildlife habitat and biodiversity. Forest visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and avoid the area during prescribed burning activities. While there won’t be a direct impact to the Coyote Wall and Catherine Creek trail systems, visitors may see or smell smoke while on the trails. Smoke may be visible on Highway 14 and Interstate 84 at times during the prescribed burn. When smoke is present, motorists should reduce speeds and turn on headlights.
Two Taken To Hospital In Highway 14 Accident
Two Carson women were taken to a Vancouver hospital following a motor vehicle accident early Wednesday morning that led to one driver being charged with DUI. According to the Washington State Patrol…a car driven by a 24-year-old woman was on Highway 14 at milepost 47 between Stevenson and Home Valley left the roadway, struck the eastbound guardrail, crossed the center line, and then struck another car driven by a 43-year-old woman. Both vehicles came to rest blocking the westbound lane and were totaled, and both women were transported to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center with unspecified injuries. The WSP says the 24-year-old is charged with DUI and vehicular assault. The accident occurred just before 5:30 Wednesday morning.
September 24 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Volleyball
Hood River Valley def. Milwaukie 22-25, 26-24, 25-11, 25-20
Columbia def. Fort Vancouver 3-0
LaCenter def. Stevenson 3-0
Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler def. Sherman 24-26, 25-15, 25-14, 8-25, 15-5
Dufur def. Horizon Christian 25-6, 25-4, 25-11
Goldendale def. Kittitas 3-1
Boys Soccer
Crook County 3, The Dalles 2
Girls Soccer
The Dalles 2, Crook County 0
LaCenter 5, Stevenson 0
Cross Country
Goldendale took three of the top four spots in the girls’ portion of an EWAC run at Cle Elum-Roslyn. Emma Meagher won the race, with Addie Throop third and Mia Meagher fourth. In the boys’ race, Malachi Lawson was the top Timberwolf finisher in sixth.
TD Council Approves Employee Pay Increase After Insurance Premiums Jump
The Dalles City Council approved a “retention and recruitment adjustment” of $127.42 per pay period for exempt employees and the members of two unions after a jump in insurance premiums. After Councilors came out of executive session to make the votes for the increases for full-time employees, Councilor Darcy Long explained why the move was made, noting the insurance premiums and the desire to retain quality municipal employees. The measures were approved barring any objections from either of the unions that represents municipal employees: Service Employees International Union 503 and The Dalles Police Association. The Council votes for all of the adjustment measures were unanimous.
HR Council Talks Transportation Options
Data gathered by an informal taxicab task force in Hood River has found some increase in the available transportation options and their usage, but a number of City Councilors want to proceed toward allowing transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft to operate in the city. Some councilors earlier in the year began pushing the issue in response to rising numbers of DUII cases in the area, and wanted to see an increase in ride options that local companies are unable to fill. But Councilor Grant Polson pointed out the TNC’s don’t necessarily go through the background checks or abide by the same rules and regulations that are currently in the city’s taxi code, and attempts to reach out to those companies to learn their practices have been unanswered. A member of the task force and taxi company owner Matt Barmann told the Council there was a hesitancy among the taxi businesses to invest with the possible increasing evidence of Uber in the area.
No Transfer Date Set For Klickitat County Jail Administration
Klickitat County officials say there is no date set for a transfer of County Jail administration from the Sheriff’s Office to a new Department of Corrections. During a report to the County Commission, Human Resources Director Robb Van Cleave said he had received questions and heard rumors, but emphasized a date had not been discussed. Van Cleave told Commissioners the hiring process for a jail administrator is proceeding. The County earlier this month announced they had selected an applicant, but the process to complete the hire remains in progress.