Wasco County Commission meetings are about to move into a new home. County Commissioners announced Wednesday that beginning with their May 1 meeting, they will hold meetings in the County’s new office space at 401 East 3rd. For years the Commissioners have held the bulk of their meetings in a small room in the Wasco County Courthouse with limited public seating. The new board room will be accessed using the building entrance on Federal Street, which will have Wasco County signage. The County says there is ample seating, and ADA compliant restrooms will be available for those who attend.
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WS Schools Partners With ESD For CTE Courses
The White Salmon Valley School District is partnering with Educational Service District 112 to bring an additional six Career and Technical Education courses to Columbia High School, and other schools in Klickitat and Skamania counties, next fall. White Salmon District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn says the district was approached by the ESD to act as a hub for the CTE Rural Cooperative Program for offering the live synchronous online classes in the region. The CTE Rural Cooperative is being designed to expand upon the original courses to create CTE Graduation Pathways.
Cherry Fest Honors Orchard Industry
The Northwest Cherry Festival will be honoring members of The Dalles area’s orchard community this weekend. The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson says Ken and Elizabeth Polehn are King Bing and Queen Anne for this year, while Brenda and Sterling Thomas will act as grand marshals. The NW Natural Cherry Festival Parade starts at 6th and Webber on Saturday morning at 10 a.m., and works its way through The Dalles. You can get a Cherry Festival guide at gorgeradio.com.
HR County Commission Approves Preparing For November Levy Vote
Hood River County Commissioners approved preparing documents to place renewal of the five-year public safety levy before voters in November. The action doesn’t fully commit the Commission to putting the levy on the general election ballot. Commissioner Arthur Babitz says discussions during the upcoming budget process will help inform that decision. Commissioner Leti Moretti noted the November date would allow the County a second chance in the May 2025 election before the budget impacts of the loss of the levy would be felt.
River Road Improvements Begin Thursday
Work on the River Road Frontage Improvements project in The Dalles will begin Thursday and continue into the month of June. Crestline Construction Company says intermittent one lane road closures and five-to-10 minute delays can be expected throughout the duration of this project. Construction & signage will be segmental as construction progresses along River Road between the former rodeo grounds and the northwestern entrance of Crates Way. Construction will be starting on the southern end of Crates Way near Klindt Drive. Motorists are asked to avoid the area when possible and prepare for short delays during the construction.
WAGAP Names Olivares & Noble to Promote Civic Engagement
Washington Gorge Action Programs has named Cristian Olivares and Ben Noble as co-directors of an effort to promote civic engagement among low-income residents. Olivares most recently worked with the Skamania County Emergency Warming Shelter team out of WAGAP’s Stevenson office, while Noble will continue to support WAGAP housing teams with conflict resolution management as he broadens his scope into civic engagement. The pair will first focus on helping to promote a cleanup of Ekone Park in Goldendale being sponsored by the East Houseless Task Force scheduled for May 11 between 9 a.m. and noon in Goldendale. Olivares is working on ideas to increase the number of Latinos who are registered to vote and participate in city council meetings. Noble wants to support people and groups across Klickitat and Skamania counties to be active in decision-making, including the Indigenous community. WAGAP established the program with a two-year, $250,000 grant by the Inatai Foundation.
Goldendale Man Pleads Guilty To Tampering With Train Brakes
A Goldendale man has pleaded guilty to tampering with the brakes of railcars stopped at Wishram in February of last year enroute to California. The Tri-City Herald reports that court documents indicated 58-year-old Forrest Ethan Wanous says he was drunk at the time and has no memory of his action. He is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court for the crime of violence against railroad carriers May 28 in the Yakima U.S. Courthouse. By the time Wanous was identified as a suspect and questioned, he was serving a 15 month sentence in the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton for felony DUI. Wanous’ attorney said he has recently completed inpatient treatment for substance abuse and is living in Walla Walla with the help of the Veterans Administration. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern Washington District has agreed to ask for five years’ probation rather than incarceration for Wanous, pointing out in court documents that would place him under court supervision longer than he would serve in prison plus probation under federal guidelines.
April 16 Prep Sport
Baseball
Putnam 12, Hood River Valley 9: The Eagles come back from a 12-0 deficit after two innings fell just short. Jordan Webber had four hits, a homer, and drove in four runs.
Columbia split with Castle Rock, losing game one 10-0, but winning game two 15-14. Bryce Wang drove in three runs for the Bruins in game two.
Irrigon 12, Dufur 8
Culver 7, Sherman 2
Softball
Hood River Valley 7, Centennial 6, 9 innings: HRV used four straight hits with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning to score four runs and tie the game, then won it when Marina Castaneda scored as a ground ball with two outs in the bottom of the ninth was mishandled.
Columbia sweeps Castle Rock 5-3 and 11-4
LaCenter sweeps Stevenson 14-5 and 15-5
Goldendale sweeps Toppenish 17-16 and 17-2
Track and Field
Hood River Valley’s Jackson Bullock and Syl Perrin won two events apiece in a three-school Northwest Oregon Conference meet at Wilsonville.
Boys Tennis
LaSalle 8, Hood River Valley 0
Girls Tennis
LaSalle 5, Hood River Valley 3
Boys Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 7, Central Catholic 5
Girls Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 9, Central Catholic 5
Boys Soccer
Stevenson 5, Winlock 4
No Update On Klickitat County Jail At Commission Meeting
There was no update on the County’s look at the Klickitat County Jail at Tuesday’s County Commission meeting, with Commission Chair Lori Zoller saying staff continues working on a long list of items on the potential options available should a decision be made to close the jail, with more being added on a daily basis. Zoller also said there won’t be movement on the issue for the next two weeks with Commissioner Dan Christopher planning to be absent from their meetings. She also reiterated her belief that between pending litigation and budget concerns that have been discussed for years, the County has to address the jail now. Zoller also addressed her cancellation of a planned Tuesday evening County Commission Town Hall session, saying the jail issue has taken over their regular meetings which went beyond civil discourse, and along with a radio announcement describing it as “a Sheriff’s Town Hall” that was pulled, she decided to use her position as Commission Chair to cancel it.
HR County Commission Appoints Muenzer To Vacant District 4 Seat
The Hood River County Commission voted to appoint Chad Muenzer to the vacant District 4 seat on the board to finish out the remaining eight-and-a-half months of the term of the departed Les Perkins. Commissioners struggled with the appointment after Muenzer, who is one of three candidates looking to be voted into the position during the upcoming May primary, was the only applicant to fill out the term. Commission Chair Jennifer Euwer had leaned toward waiting until after the primary to see if there was a clear winner, but other commissioners felt they could be in the same position a month from now if no one receives over 50 percent of the vote. Commissioner Arthur Babitz pointed out that District 4 should have a representative on the board as budget discussions are beginning, adding making the appointment doesn’t mean the panel is indicating some kind of preference. Muenzer did say during his interview before the Commission that he would step aside from the position f one of the other two candidates on the ballot was to be a clear winner with over 50 percent of the vote in the May election.