A trend of declining enrollment in the Hood River County School District is continuing in the early weeks of September. Interim Superintendent Bill Newton says as of Tuesday, the district has 3,804 students, down 46 from last year. He says once again the reduction is at the lower grades. He notes the difference between enrollment from kindergarten to second grade and tenth to twelfth grade is about 300 students. Newton says the district last spring did not fill seven teaching positions this year that were open to begin to adjust staffing levels for the student decrease. He adds along with the high cost of housing being a factor in the enrollment dip, birth rates in the state have also gone down, leading to enrollment drops in many districts.
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Highway 14 Accident Sends Two To Hospitals
Two people were taken to hospitals after a two-vehicle accident Monday afternoon on Highway 14 between Lyle and Murdock. According to the Washington State Patrol, a car driven by 58-year-old Georgia Harris of Lyle was westbound near milepost 80 when it went over the center line and hit an SUV operated by 65-year-old Christine Derting of Dallesport head-on. Harris was taken by LifeFlight to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, while Derting was taken by ambulance to Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles, the accident occurred shortly after 3:30 Monday afternoon.
Small Fire On Mt. Hood Forest Monday
A small fire was reported on the Mt Hood National Forest in Wasco County on Monday afternoon. The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office says the fire near the Bonney Crossing Campground was reported at 4:42 Monday afternoon. It burned about three acres before being knocked down about two hours after it was first reported. The Sheriff’s Office says crews from the Forest Service were among the resources on the scene. There were no evacuation advisories required as a result of the fire.
September 18 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Boys Soccer
Trout Lake 4, Damascus Christian 0
Portland Christian 8, Horizon Christian 0
Girls Soccer
Catlin Gabel 8, Trout Lake 0
Port of HR Gets Market Study For Lower Mill Property
The Port of Hood River has received a market study from EcoNorthwest for the Lower Mill property in Odell. Port Executive Director Kevin Greenwood says the 22-acre property is about ready for development. Greenwood says the study shows putting up a 10,000 square foot building to be available for tenants would be a good initial step. Greenwood notes that the current high costs of construction is an impediment, but lease rates figure to be lower than in the waterfront area. Selling some pieces of the property would be an option, in part to potentially help pay for building a facility there.
Two Area Projects Receive Carbon Reduction Funding
There are two Mid-Columbia projects among the 15 across Oregon to receive funding from the federal Carbon Reduction Program. Sherman County will receive $370,704 for an EV Pilot and Charging Infrastructure project that will purchase three electric fleet vehicles and chargers to support those vehicles, including one DC fast charger and one Level 2 charger. The Hood River County Transportation District was awarded $203,819 for the Hood River County Rural Mobility Project to offer e-bike lending options located at 3 transit mobility hubs located in the City of Hood River. The Carbon Reduction Program’s first round of competitive grant funding, which ran in spring this year, had $13 million available for “small urban and rural” projects in Oregon that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
Vaccine To Be Available
North Central Public Health District says it will get a limited supply of the updated COVID-19 vaccine, and will offer it to any who is uninsured as well as those under the age of 19 who are on the Oregon Health Plan or are American Indian, or Alaskan Native. The district says since the federal government ended the COVID-19 public health emergency in May, the nation’s health system has returned to traditional channels of vaccine distribution through doctor’s offices and pharmacies. For those with private health insurance, those plans will cover the updated vaccine, with no out of pocket costs. Federal Health Agencies approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine last week and it should be available early this week. The health district says it is recommended for everyone 6 months and older. NCPHD also has a limited supply of the flu vaccine and will offer it to the same groups of people as the COVID-19 vaccine. To book an appointment for either vaccine, please call the health district at 541-506-2600.
Camp Creek Fire At 51% Containment
Containment on the Camp Creek Fire remains at 51% as of Monday morning. Acreage remained steady at 2,055 on the fire located in the Mount Hood National Forest near the Bull Run Watershed. Pacific Northwest Team 3 Field Operations Chief Brett Thomas says they continue to focus on the Forest Service Road 12 as a primary line at the northwest corner of the fire near the watershed. Fire activity on the east end of the fire is limited and with little to no growth.
Cowlitz Complex At 34% Containment
The Cowlitz Complex of fires in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest is 34% contained with a total of 695 acres and 342 personnel. Forest Service officials say firefighters worked around the 22-acre Mission Fire near Forest Road 21 to contain the fire from a spillover that occurred on Saturday. There was slight growth in the Grassy Mountain Fire but it still poses no threat to the communities of Randle or Packwood. Crews will continue to monitor and patrol the Mission and other smaller fires in the forthcoming days. There was less smoke Sunday and it will likely be light this week, although fires from outside the area may add to regional haze. There are 30 fires in the complex. The fires started August 25 after a lightning event across the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. All fires are being managed under full suppression strategy.
September 15-16 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Football
Scappoose 41, Hood River Valley 21
Goldendale 34, The Dalles 13
Montesano 48, Columbia 6
Stevenson 20, Fort Vancouver 0
Sherman 26, Dufur 20, OT
Perrydale 54, Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 14
South Wasco 62, Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 37
Boys Soccer
Trout Lake 1, Grand View Christian Academy 1
Girls Soccer
Oregon Episcopal 0, Trout Lake 0
Volleyball
The Dalles split a pair of matches at the Sisters Tournament
Columbia won two matches at the Riverside Tournament
South Wasco won three out of six matches at the East-West Classic at Powder Valley
Stevenson def. Elma 3-0
Cross Country
The Dalles girls were sixth and boys eighth at the Oregon City Invitational. Alaina Casady was 13th in the girls race and Tyson Long 27th in the boys race.