The Port of Hood River announced Saturday morning that structural repairs have been completed ahead of schedule and the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge is now open to all vehicles weighing less than 64,000 lbs. Visit the Port website for information on current weight and height restrictions at: https://portofhoodriver.com/bridge/. The Port will announce a future bridge closure to continue electrical and mechanical work on the lift span.
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Woman Killed In I-84 Accident
A 55-year-old woman was killed early Thursday morning when her car was hit by an ambulance while she was outside her disabled vehicle on the side of westbound Interstate 84 in Hood River County. According to the Oregon State Police…55-year-old Geraldean Edna Martin of Portland was outside of her vehicle near milepost 54 when the AMR ambulance driven by 42-year-old Amanda Hancock of Benton City left its lane of travel and struck the vehicle. The OSP says Martin was declared deceased at the scene. Neither Hancock nor two passengers in the ambulance, one of whom was a patient, were injured in the collision. The accident occurred at 12:45 Thursday morning.
Larch Creek Fire Containment Now 43%
Containment of the Larch Creek Fire in southern Wasco County moved up to 43% as crews worked last night to grid the area, searching for any heat emerging around the fire’s edge. Crews did observe juniper tree torching, or the ignition of trees from bottom to top inside the perimeter of the 18,432 acre fire. Fire officials say they are making great progress on the fire. The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office lifted all remaining Level 3 evacuation advisories on Wednesday evening, going down to Level 2. There were other reductions, with all previous Level 1 advisories lifted. Detailed evacuation information is available on the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. The Pine Hollow Reservoir reopened to recreation on Wednesday afternoon.
Lone Rock Fire Grows To The South On Wednesday Night
The Lone Rock Fire ten miles southeast of Condon did make a four-to-five mile run to the south on Wednesday. Northwest Team 2 Operations Section Chief Amy McClave said with good progress made on the north side of the fire, they will be now focusing on the southern end. The community of Spray is now under a Level 2 “Get Set” evacuation advisory, after being at Level 3 “Go Now” for a time on Wednesday evening. The fire is now 77,020 acres in size, and containment is at 10%.
Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall Coming To The Dalles
The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall will be on display at the Oregon Veterans Home in The Dalles early next week. The wall is etched with the names of over 58,000 men and women who died in the Vietnam War. The wall will be on display at the Oregon Veterans Home on 700 Veterans Drive in The Dalles from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday of this coming week (July 22-24). An opening ceremony including remarks from former The Dalles Mayor and Vietnam veteran Steve Lawrence, Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs director Dr. Nakeia Council Daniels, and Veterans Care Centers of Oregon board chair Linda Adams, will be held Monday morning at 10 a.m.
Port of Cascade Locks Finalizes Strategic Plan
The Port of Cascade Locks has finalized its strategic plan for the next five years. Port Deputy Executive Director Genevieve Scholl says the Port Commission completely revamped their vision and mission statements, and established four major strategic goals: maintaining Port assets, facilitate economic development through management of Port properties, encourage economic development through recreation, and modernize internal operations. Scholl says they are now developing a work plan to address those goals. She adds one effort underway is the creation of a new economic development grant program for projects that will impact the economy in the Port of Cascade Locks district.
Mother/Daughter STEM Fair Planned For July 25
Gorge Women in STEM will hold its inaugural Mother/Daughter STEM Fair next Thursday afternoon (July 25) in Bingen’s Daubenspeck Park. Mid-Columbia Economic Development District Executive Director Jessica Metta says the event aims to inspire the next generation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through hands-on interactive activities. The Columbia Gorge STEM Hub and the Gorge Technology Alliance are partnering in the event. It will run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. next Thursday at Daubenspeck Park in Bingen. For more information go to crgta.org.
Thunderstorms Minimally Impact Larch Creek Fire
Scattered thunderstorms and gusty winds in southeast Wasco County early Wednesday morning only minimally impacted the Larch Creek Fire area. Night crews improved containment and mop-up activities continue to expand, while fire personnel remain on stand-by to monitor for any starts caused by lightning strikes. Containment is at 27% for the 18,690 acre fire. The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office lifted all remaining Level 3 evacuation advisories on Wednesday evening, going down to Level 2. There were other reductions, with all previous Level 1 advisories lifted. Detailed evacuation information is available on the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. The Pine Hollow Reservoir reopened to recreation on Wednesday afternoon.
Lone Rock Fire At 10% Containment
The Lone Rock Fire ten miles southeast of Condon has grown to 69,354 acres, but containment has moved up to 10%. Northwest Management Team 2 and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office went into a unified command of the fire this morning. Fire officials say additional resources continue to arrive to support the suppression efforts. Wildland fire crews continue to patrol and secure firelines on the northwest portion of the fire; however, crews continue to find heat along the northeastern and southern edges of the fire. Structure protection in the community of Lonerock continues to be a priority, and OSFM task forces are also conducting structure assessment and protection efforts beyond the fire’s edge in the surrounding communities of Hardman and Lefevre Prairie. Firefighters will continue to work through the night providing structure protection and suppression efforts throughout the fire – with increased resources in the southeast where the fire is most active.
URA Board To Seek Interest For Development Of Tony’s Lot
The Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency board has authorized going out for Requests for Expressions on Interest for developing the former Tony’s Town and Country property on East 2nd in downtown The Dalles. That’s after a community survey showed interest in a number of different possibilities for the property, including commercial or residential development and community open space in conjunction with the City’s planned Federal Street plaza. City Economic Development Officer Dan Spatz says an RFEI differs from the usual Request for Proposal in not requiring full-blown architectural and engineering documents, but still requires a structured response. URA Board Chair Darcy Long says they will put heavier weight on fully developed concepts with details on how they would be achieved.