New toll rates for all vehicles on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate bridge will go into effect at midnight. Base toll rates for passenger vehicles will increase for cash-paying customers to $3.50 per crossing. BreezeBy customers will see an increase to $1.75 per crossing for two-axle vehicles. Toll rates depend on vehicle class with large trucks, RVs, and trailers paying $4.00 per axle for cash customers, $3.00 per axle with BreezeBy. The new toll rates were set based on the recommendation of the newly formed Hood River White Salmon Bridge Authority, citing the need to raise $75 -$150 million in local toll revenue to complete the funding package for construction of the replacement bridge. All of the new toll revenue will be paid out to a separate Bi-State replacement fund to build up cash reserves required for a federal construction loan.
The deadline to apply for The Dalles Local Government Academy has been pushed back to Wednesday. The academy is designed to give community members a chance to learn more about how local government operates. Executive Assistant to the City Manager Amie Ell says they will combine classroom-style presentations with tours of municipal operations. Academy sessions will be held every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. from October 17 through November 9, except on Halloween. To be eligible you must be at least 18 years of age and be a resident of The Dalles. To get an application go to thedalles.org or call 541-296-5481, ext. 4408.
Light rain falling on the Camp Creek Fire in the Mount Hood National Forest near the Bull Run Watershed is expected to continue into Friday morning. Crews continue to work on using existing forest roads to serve as points to establish containment lines. Operations Section Chief Matt Call noted a lack of visibility is limiting use of air resources, even though they remain available should they be needed. The fire size remains 1,969 acres, with no containment figure at this point.
The recently released preliminary data from Mid-Columbia Community Action’s Point In Time count of homeless people in January showed a 56 percent increase in the number of people in that position in Hood River County compared to 2022. Community Action Executive Director Kenny LaPoint says improved counting methods are one reason for the increase, but he also notes Hood River County doesn’t have the amount of resources that are available in Wasco County. He notes there is only a seasonal shelter available in Hood River County, compared to a year-round shelter in Wasco County. LaPoint said his organization has looked for property in Hood River County to establish a navigation center for housing services similar to what Community Action is currently developing in The Dalles.
The Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 2 assumed command of the Cowlitz Complex Fire on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, with officials saying local crews have done an excellent job of establishing containment lines around several of the more than 40 wildfires currently active on the Pinchot. Team officials say four fires have been identified for immediate attention, including the Snagtooth and Spencer Quartz fires on the southside of Snagtooth Mountain that are the largest in the complex at a combined 449 acres. Access is limited due to steep terrain, and crews have been scouting the area and assessing the potential for growth.
A recent poaching conviction in Umatilla County is the first significant application of new sentencing guidelines established by the Oregon Legislature in 2018 creating stiffer penalties and allows prosecutors to elevate poaching crimes from a misdemeanor to a felony. The Oregon State Police say 28-year-old Walker Erickson on Pendleton will pay $75,000 in fines and serve jail time after pleading guilty to 22 charges of killing numerous deer and elk near Pendleton in what officials called a wildlife crime spree. It was prosecuted by Oregon Department of Justice Wildlife Anti-Poaching Resources Prosecutor Jay Hall. Yvonne Shaw of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says Hall has experience with trying poaching cases, and his new position allows him to provide guidance to prosecutors and the OSP. A new website, ProtectOregonsWildlife.com, features tips on how to recognize poaching and report it.
Officials on the Camp Creek Fire in the Mt. Hood National Forest northeast of Sandy near the Bull Run Watershed say higher humidity and rainfall have helped moderate fire spread, but the fire continues to burn steadily inside thick canopies of trees. Great Basin Incident Management Team 1 Commander Evans Kuo told a community meeting in Corbett on Tuesday evening that the current weather patterns are helping firefighters, even though there are some east winds forecast later in the week. Operations Section Chief Issac Powning did emphasize that even with some moisture in the area, the fire is burning actively. Size of the fire has increased to 1,969 acres, with no containment figure.
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