Boys Basketball
King’s Way Christian 65. Columbia 40
South Wasco 55, Ione-Arlington 41
Girls Basketball
Seton Catholic 48, Stevenson 38: Aria Obias led Stevenson’s effort with 15 points.
King’s Way Christian 31, Columbia 13
South Wasco 43, Ione-Arlington 26
Trout Lake 63, Bickleton 28
North Wasco County School District 21’s board has decided they won’t try a second bond measure to build a new high school in The Dalles this May. In a statement during a board meeting, vice-chair Judy Richardson while they still believe there is an urgency to the need to replace The Dalles High School, there also wasn’t enough time to conduct the planning process necessary for a second bond attempt in May. Richardson said they appreciated the support and enthusiasm many brought to the bond measure vote in November, which saw a 45 percent turnout defeat the bond request with just over 52.5 percent voting no. She added the board looked forward to community engagement on next steps to take towards a future bond measure.
Members of the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative are completing the 2024 Point in Time Count this week in Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat, and Skamania Counties. The annual PIT Count is a federally mandated survey of people experiencing houselessness in communities across the country, and plays a critical role in determining the level of state and federal funding communities receive to address houselessness, along with providing key insight into the needs of those impacted by houselessness. Houseless community members have the opportunity to access the supplies and housing stabilization services outreach case workers offer when conducting the count. The 2024 PIT Count will be the second count to be conducted in the region since the formation of the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative, which includes nearly 40 organizations, local governments, and individuals from Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Skamania, and Klickitat Counties working to implement its five-year strategic plan focused on improving coordinated efforts to prevent and respond to houselessness.
Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue crews responded to a pair of fires in The Dalles area over the weekend. On Saturday morning crews responded to a structure fire on Mill Creek Road. Occupants made it out safely, and no injuries were reported. Hood River County, Dufur, and Mosier fire crews and Klickitat County EMS provided assistance. Sunday morning, MCFR, Dallesport, and Mosier fire crews dealt with an RV fire in the area of West 7th Street and Garden Court. Crews were able to quickly knock down the fire and protect the surrounding property, vehicles, and structures. No injuries were reported.
A community outreach process is getting underway to discuss an initiative involving the U.S. Forest Service and Friends of the Columbia Gorge to plan and develop a trail connecting Mosier and The Dalles within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Claire Fernandez is project manager for the Forest Service. She says Friends of the Gorge has hired a team of consultants to initiate the outreach process, with online open houses and targeted meetings over the next several months. A website has been set up at mosiertothedallestrail.org.
The Dalles Art Center will celebrate a Columbia Gorge Community College instructor during its February exhibit. The work of longtime ceramics artist and educator Chris Bolton will be featured in Quin Quinquagenary: 55 Years of Playing With Dirt, opening on Thursday. The Dalles Art Center Executive Director Sally Johnson says his ceramic forms are functional, but he puts his own style into them. An opening reception is planned for Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with an Artist Talk with Bolton preceded by a reception hosted by CGCC President Kenneth Lawson scheduled for Friday, February 9 at 6 p.m. Information is available at thedallesartcenter.org.
Washington 14th District State Rep. Chris Corry has filed a new bill he says would help cities and counties address revenue challenges without increasing taxes. Corry’s House Bill 2436 calls for the state tax to be reduced by 0.5% while allowing cities and counties the ability to raise their sales tax by 0.5% to get the revenue they need if they get voter approval. He says that under his bill the state takes less, and local jurisdictions can work with their constituents to keep that money local. Corry adds he is particularly concerned with Senate Bill 5770, a bill first introduced late last session, that would raise the more than 20-year-old 1% cap on the growth of state and local property taxes to 3%. It received a hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Jan. 18.
The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce announced its 2024 Distinguished Citizens Awards Banquet will now take place on February 29. It had been scheduled for earlier this month, but was postponed due to the recent winter storms. All the original features of the banquet, including the awards ceremony, guest speakers, and entertainment, will take place as initially planned. The Chamber announced it has reopened table sponsorships and ticket sales. The deadline to secure tickets is February 22. They are available through thedalleschamber.com.
The Link Public Transit in The Dalles will increase its trips to Hood River from four to five times per day on weekdays starting February 19. Stop times will be modified for connectivity improvement with regional transit providers. Frequent riders are encouraged to purchase a Gorge Transit Pass, which offers unlimited travel on fixed route service offered by The Link, Columbia Area Transit, Mt. Adams Transportation Services, and Skamania County Transit. To purchase a pass, visit gorgepass.com. Starting March 4, The Link will slightly reduce the frequency of the Blue Route in The Dalles to operate on a one-hour basis from 7:00am to 7:00pm on weekdays. That will allow the Link to increase its Dial-a-Ride service. The decision to increase Dial-a-Ride service was based on ridership data from the past year as well as current and future funding guidelines that direct the service to focus on the specific needs in Wasco County for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation, and transportation for Students, the Elderly and Disabled, and Low-Income individuals who require door-to-door service. Updated printed brochures and an online version will be available a week prior to the effective date at www.mcedd.org/link.
When the short Oregon Legislative session gets underway next week, the Port of Cascade Locks will be seeking funding for upgrades to the 98-year-old Bridge of the Gods. It was built before modern seismic standards, the bridge is vulnerable to a large earthquake event and in need of a number of preservation upgrades. The Port of Cascade Locks has owned and operated the toll bridge since 1961 and is updating its 15-year maintenance plan. The Port has made a $6 million request to the Oregon Legislature to fund a set of seismic and preservation studies that will identify key upgrades and provide a roadmap for future improvements, including safer passage for bikes, pedestrians and horses. This funding will be considered by the Oregon Legislature next month when its short legislative session convenes on February 5. The request is in a standalone bill within the Joint Transportation Committee, called House Bill 4110. The port says it has also worked closely with Washington Representative Kevin Waters of Skamania County to explore funding opportunities from across the river, but due to cost overruns on large transportation projects around Washington, they don’t expect an opening for funding this year.
