The Hood River County Commission held a worksession on Tuesday to discuss budget philosophy as they head into planning for fiscal year 2025-26 and beyond. In her budget message, County Administrator Allison Williams says there is a lot of long-term planning that needs to be done. Williams says this year’s budget will be about maintaining what the County has. She says the wildcard in this year’s fiscal planning is what is happening at the federal level, noting the County started a number of years ago to access as many grant resources as possible. Another issue: increases in Public Employees Retirement System costs and other rising costs of doing business.
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Justesen Seeks To Restart Wolf Compensation Committee
Wasco County Commissioner Jeff Justesen says he’s trying to restart a wolf compensation committee. There had been a panel ten years ago that had some momentum, but it then dropped off. Justesen says it is time to bring it back with increased wolf activity in the southern portion of the County. He says they would work closely with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to show the need for the group. Justesen says the state can be reluctant to give specifics on where wolves are roaming. But he points out sightings have occurred not just in the remote southern parts of the County, but in the Dufur and Maupin areas as well.
April 8 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Pendleton 5, The Dalles 0: Evan Lehnert twirled a three-hit shutout for the Buckaroos, striking out nine.
King’s Way Christian 18, Columbia 8: A nine-run second inning for the Knights was the difference. Wyatt Stelma had three hits and three runs batted in to pace the Bruins offense.
LaCenter 30, Stevenson 0
Softball
Pendleton 7, The Dalles 2: The Buckaroos got off to a quick lead and never trailed. Maddie Brock hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning for the Riverhawks.
Track and Field
Stevenson’s girls topped Fort Vancouver and King’s Way Christian in a Trico League meet. Olivia Fauth won two events for the Bulldogs. The Stevenson boys were second to King’s Way. Matthew Troller had a first and a second for the Bulldogs.
Boys Volleyball
Parkrose def. Hood River Valley 25-17, 25-13, 25-15
Judge Upholds Hood River STR Ordinance
A federal judge has upheld a requirement in the City of Hood River’s short-term rental ordinances requiring that STR license holders in residential zones either reside on the property as their primary residence or have a designated lessee who does. A group of homeowners challenged the law, arguing the ordinance’s residency requirement violates the Dormant Commerce Clause by discriminating against out-of-state homeowners, thereby limiting their ability to participate in the vacation rental market. Federal District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson ruled the threshold requirement of showing that the ordinances impose a substantial burden on interstate commerce was not reached. She added the Court “accepts the explanation provided in the ordinances that their purpose is to ensure housing supply, promote quality of life, avoid clusters of vacation rentals, and reduce hardship on out-of-state property owners.” Mayor Paul Blackburn said the City was pleased with the court’s decision.
Child Dies, Others Injured In Highway 97 Accident
A seven-year-old died and a four-year-old was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash on Friday night on Highway 97 in southern Wasco County. The Oregon State Police says a preliminary investigation indicated a southbound Honda CRV, operated by 34-year-old Eduardo Enrique Aguirre of Spokane, attempted to pass a commercial motor vehicle in a no-passing zone near milepost 65 just after 9 p.m. and struck a northbound Volkswagen Atlas, operated by 45-year-old Eric Daniel Smidt of Pendleton, head-on. A seven-year-old boy in Aguirre’s car was transported by Lifeflight and later declared deceased. Aguirre and another young passenger in his vehicle, a four-year-old boy, were seriously injured and transported to an area hospital for treatment. Smidt and his passengers, 46-year-old Heather Marie Smidt and a 15-year-old boy, were also seriously injured and transported to an area hospital for treatment. The highway was impacted for approximately five hours during the on-scene investigation. The OSP says an unlawful pass is considered a primary cause of the crash. OSP was assisted by the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office and ODOT.
Snowpack In Hood-Sandy-Lower Deschutes Basin Near Normal
Snowpack in the Hood-Sandy-Lower Deschutes basin is now at 94 percent of normal. That’s within the 90 percent to 110 percent parameter the Oregon Natural Resources Conservation Service Snow Survey labels as “near normal.” Supervisory Hydrologist Matt Warbritton says significant accumulation in February and March helped bring up snowpack after it had sagged in January. Most of the state is above 100 percent of normal, with eastern Oregon basins well above their averages. Warbritton says storm patterns this year favored southern and eastern Oregon basins, areas that have experienced more long-term drought.
Cross Channel Swim Registration Opens
Registration is now open for one of the nation’s longest-running and most iconic open water swimming events, the Columbia River Cross Channel Swim, returning for its 81st year on Saturday, Aug. 30. It started in the 1940s, when Hood River local Roy Webster first began swimming the river with his family. This year’s event will again be hosted at the Sternwheeler paddleboat dock in Cascade Locks. Swimmers board the historic Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler and are ferried across the channel to Washington’s shore. Participants leap from the decks into the river, commencing a 1.1-mile open water swim toward the Columbia River’s Oregon shore. There is a dedicated swim lane, flanked by volunteers on sailboats, kayaks, and paddleboards, ensuring guidance, encouragement, and safety. Swimmers will now be required to use a tow buoy to enhance safety by improving visibility and providing participants a more efficient way to rest during the event if needed. To register for the Columbia River Cross Channel Swim, visit columbiariverswim.com.
Fire Hydrant Flushing In The Dalles
The City of The Dalles Public Works Department will be flushing fire hydrants throughout the city over the next few weeks, weather permitting. Fire hydrants are flushed in order to clean out deposits, sediments and rust from our distribution pipelines, help minimize water quality problems, test fire protection water pressures, exercise hydrant valves, and identify hydrants needing repair or replacement. Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid driving or walking through the water coming directly from a hydrant while it is being flushed. If it is not possible to avoid the area, please proceed with caution. Occasionally main flushing causes water flowing from a tap to be discolored from stirred up sediment or milky white caused by tiny air bubbles. Although discolored water won’t make you sick, you might want to flush the pipe by running the water for several minutes before drinking or washing. If the water does not clear, please contact the Public Works office at 541-296-5401, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays, or after hours at (541) 980-7703.
Fire Prevention Program Available In Klickitat & Skamania Counties
Property owners in Klickitat and Skamania counties can get help in protecting their homes and land through the Wildfire Ready Neighbors Program put on the Washington Department of Natural Resources in conjunction with numerous local partner fire agencies. DNR Community Resilience Coordinator Charlie Landsman says the program connects people with a local wildfire mitigation specialist to develop a personalized action plan and identify any risk factors to their home. To sign-up for the program, go to wildfireready.com. Landsman notes there are other programs to help people protect their homes, including Firewise USA which looks at the effort on a community-wide level. He says there are incentive programs and grants available to assist with the cost of implementation.
Body Found Along Columbia River Shore
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office recovered a body along the shore of the Columbia River last week. The Sheriff’s Office says it received a report of a deceased subject located by kayakers along the shore of the Columbia River. Deputies from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit assisted in the response with their boat, while Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue volunteers responded from land. After an arduous response due to weather and terrain conditions, both on water and land, the decedent was recovered and transported to shore. Based on an investigation, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office does not suspect any criminal activity involved in the subject’s death and the community is not in danger. The identity of the body found was not released.