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Wasco County Commission Approves Zoning Map & NSA Amendments

Posted on by mbailey

Wasco County Commissioners approved amendments to both the County’s comprehensive plan zoning map and National Scenic Area ordinance.  Many of the changes are housekeeping items, and to bring the County into compliance with the NSA Management Plan and Federal Emergency Management Administration flood plain rules developed in 2020.  Wasco County Long-Range Planner Alice Cannon says the flood plain changes are important to qualify for the national insurance program for properties in the flood plain.  The NSA ordinance changes have to go to the Columbia River Gorge Commission and eventually the Secretary of Agriculture’s office for approval.

 

White Salmon Schools To Have Building Condition Assessment

Posted on by mbailey

White Salmon Valley School District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn met with members of the Southwest Washington ESD 112 Construction Services Group this week to begin preliminary work on facilities planning.  Polkinghorn says the first step will be to have a Building Condition Assessment done.  Polkinghorn says there is an opportunity for the district to apply for a Small Schools Modernization grant from the state.  He says they district could be eligible for up to $12 million, but they need to get the assessment done before they apply for the grant.

Program Helps Feed Farmworkers During Harvest Season

Posted on by mbailey

A program in the Columbia River Gorge helps migrant farmworkers’ families during harvest season.  The Resources Available for Migrant Access to Services, or RAMAS group, is led by the Oregon Child Development Coalition in Hood River and Wasco Counties.  It provides support during a four-week period of peak harvest time, including food boxes to families.  Leah Hall with Columbia Gorge Food Bank in The Dalles says migrant workers follow the harvest and often bring their families with them.  Hall says they also help migrant farmworkers and families receives education, nutrition, health, social services, mental health and disabilities, and family engagement education services.  She adds the group works with orchardists and farm owners in the region to determine when workers are expected to arrive.

 

Songer Recovering After Stroke Symptoms

Posted on by mbailey

Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer was taken to a hospital on Friday with stroke symptoms.  According to a statement issued by Undersheriff Carmen Knopes on Tuesday, Songer was taken to Klickitat Valley Health in Goldendale and then transported to a Portland hospital for further treatment and evaluation.  Knopes says Songer has been walking around, eating, and drinking coffee, and is ready to come home.  She added Songer is likely to be released from the hospital within the next few days.

Larch Creek Fire Containment Now 27%

Posted on by mbailey

Containment on the Larch Creek Fire in Wasco County moved up to 27% Tuesday evening…and officials reported the fire perimeter is now fully lined.  In the    most active section of the fire, the Southwest edge, crews have mopped up 25 feet inwards from the fireline.  In other areas of the fire, mop-up has pushed in over 100 feet, creating a stronger gap between the fire’s footprint and unburned fuels.  Firefighters went into the night watching for potential dry thunderstorms that were forecast into this morning and could bring gusty winds to test fireline.  One of the primary hazards for fire personnel are standing dead trees which may be weakened and fall or ignite and cast sparks into unburned fuel outside the fire perimeter.  Structural task forces were being demobilized Tuesday, and crews continue patrolling around structures that remain in areas under evacuation.  The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office did lower some evacuation levels Tuesday evening and will reassess them again today.  Pine Hollow Reservoir remains closed to recreation.  Detailed evacuation information is available on the Wasco County Facebook page.

 

Lone Rock Fire Up To 71,000 Acres

Posted on by mbailey

Size of the Lone Rock Fire ten miles southeast of Condon has moved up to 71,000 acres, and containment is now at 10%.  The Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office says active fire is to the southwest and southeast of Lonerock.  Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act on Tuesday.  The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Red Incident Management Team joined a unified command with Northwest Team 2.  Structural task forces from Benton, Clackamas, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, and Yamhill counties are assigned to the fire.  The Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center says fire crews will continue to build on prior suppression efforts,  The Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office says the Oregon Department of Forestry, and the Oregon State Fire Marshal Office had fire investigators on scene Tuesday conducting an investigation as to how and why this fire started..

 

White Salmon & DNR Get Ready To Clear Fire Fuels From Bluff

Posted on by mbailey

The City of White Salmon and the Washington Department of Natural Resources have acquired a contractor to do clearing of fire fuels on the Bluff.  Mayor Marla Keethler says federal funding delays led to the project to be pushed back from this past fall to sometime this summer.  But she points out they have to wait for some cooler weather to do the work, so it may not happen until the late summer or early fall.  She adds this is the first phase of a complete fuel break around the White Salmon city limits that can help defend the community from wildfire.

Van Cleave Updates Jail Process

Posted on by mbailey

Klickitat County Human Resources Director Robb Van Cleave updated County Commissioners on progress toward transferring control of the County Jail from the Sheriff’s Office to a new Department of Corrections under the Commission’s direction.  Van Cleave said a contract for a firm to conduct a jail administrator search will be available for Commission approval next week…while a resolution to formalize the transfer is almost complete.  But he noted right now they are in a phase of making changes to items like credit card and cell phone accounts to happen before the administration change is made.  Van Cleave said he plans to update the Commission at each of their weekly meetings on the process.

Klickitat County Commission Asks For More Work On Battery Moratorium

Posted on by mbailey

Klickitat County Commissioners asked County Planning Director Scott Edelman to make some changes to a draft document that would place a six-month moratorium on battery energy storage systems either as a stand alone project or as part of an energy generating facility, along with the storage and warehousing of lithium batteries.  While the goal has been to allow time to develop regulations around green energy large scale battery storage, but has evolved into a larger discussion around what Commissioner Dan Christopher called a “bigger public safety problem.”  Edelman made changes in an attempt to not impede existing business practices, and Christopher asked for a closer look.  Once they reach agreement on moratorium language, it will be sent to the Prosecuting Attorney’s office for a legal opinion before a hearing and adoption.

HR City Planning Commission Approves Site Plan For Rand Road Development

Posted on by mbailey

The Hood River City Planning Commission unanimously approved the site plan review for the Rand Road Affordable Housing development.  Panel members said the application from Community Development Corporation and Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation was very clear and complete.  Some of the Planning Commission did emphasize the City Council needs to prioritize construction of a sidewalk on the west side of Rand Road between Cascade Avenue and Sherman Street to handle an increase in pedestrians when the housing development is built.

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