A Rufus man wanted in connection with the murder of two people in mid-March north of Goldendale has been arrested in Jefferson County, Oregon. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says 31-year-old John Scott Raczykowski was taken into custody and lodged in the Jefferson County Jail in Madras on Sunday on a Klickitat County warrant charging him with two counts of first degree murder in the shooting deaths of 35-year-old Jeremy Allen Wyatt and 34-year-old Elisha Ann King of Yakima. There were no details released on the circumstances surrounding the arrest. Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer says Raczykowski will face extradition hearings, and other legal proceedings, prior to being transported to Klickitat County. Once Raczykowski arrives at the Klickitat County Jail, he will face various charges as a result of the murder investigation. Klickitat County investigators determined Wyatt and King were killed at a location on Box Canyon Road north of Goldendale on March 16, and their bodies burned near Toppenish on Yakama Tribal land. Authorities arrested another man in connection with the case early the next day for rendering criminal assistance and tampering with physical evidence.
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Hood River Police Make Narcotic Seizure After Traffic Stop
Hood River Police seized a substantial quantity of narcotics after a traffic stop over the weekend. According to a statement from the Hood River Police Department, an officer stopped a vehicle for expired registration tags and observed numerous signs of impairment in the driver. The department says 108 grams of suspected Fentanyl in pills and uncut form, 95 grams of methamphetamine, and ten grams of heroin was seized from the vehicle along with a large amount of cash. The HRPD noted the term “suspected” fentanyl was used because there is no easy or safe way to test for fentanyl in the field, as opposed to meth and heroin test kits that are readily available to officers.
Lewis Consulting With ESD On White Salmon Schools Budget Issue
Acting White Salmon Valley School District Superintendent Jerry Lewis says he has meetings scheduled with Educational Service District 112 to develop budget projections as he tries to help White Salmon Schools navigate a projected $3.5 million budget shortfall for the 2023-24 school year. Lewis said in a letter to the community released Monday morning that the school district needs to know exactly what they have to work with, and then the board, administrative team, and unions can develop a plan as quickly as possible. He adds in the letter that the goal is to save as many jobs as possible in order to maintain a high quality of education for students. Lewis also says he wants the process and plan to be transparent and handled with sensitivity and compassion. Lewis volunteered last week to return to the post he retired from two years ago after Sean McGeeney resigned. The district had a reserve of about $2.5 million two years ago, but McGeeney had reported that was down to $90,000.
HR County Issuing Orchard Pest Control Reminder
Hood River County is reminding property owners of their responsibility to help control orchard pests. Both the County and the state have ordinances and regulations in place, and the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers, and the County are working together to develop a plan to help with pest management. County Commission Chair Jennifer Euwer says unmanaged or abandoned orchards can lead to insect problems for the commercial orchard industry. Euwer noted educating County residents about the problems pests can cause the orchard industry will be a large part of the effort.
Port of TD Seeks Funds For Property Acquisition
During the recent visit of The Dalles Community Outreach Team to Washington, D.C., one of the projects the group pitched was for funding to help the Port of The Dalles acquire more industrial land. Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says her agency has put in a request for federal funding to buy and then develop property. Klaas noted the Port is exploring an opportunity to buy about 45 acres of land for around $4 million, with substantial development costs expected. Klaas says the Port currently holds 25 acres of buildable lands.
Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Closure Pushed Back
The planned 4-day closure of the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate bridge in mid-May has been cancelled due to fabrication delays for the new wire ropes that were to be installed on the bridge’s lift span. Port of Hood River officials had planned for the closure to take place on May 19 to 22. The project is postponed to later in the year, likely in October after the conclusion of the fruit harvest.
Harris Medical Procedure Access Bill Approved By Senate
A bipartisan bill that would help increase access to certain medical care and procedures is headed to the governor’s desk, after passing the Washington state Senate on Thursday. House Bill 1073, sponsored by 17th District Rep. Paul Harris, would extend the expiration of a certified medical assistant interim permit to the issuance of a certification. The bill would also allow an individual who has applied for a medical assistant-phlebotomist credential, and has completed the training program, to work under the level of supervision required for the training program, up to 180 days after filing their application. HB 1073 would also allow a certified medical assistant to establish intravenous lines under the supervision of a health care practitioner if certain minimum standards are met. Furthermore, it would authorize a registered medical assistant to prepare patients for, and assist with, examinations, procedures, treatments, and minor office surgeries that use minimal sedation. The bill contains an emergency clause, which means it would take effect immediately after the governor signs it.
Two Waters Bills Pass Senate
The Washington State Senate passed two bills from 17th District Rep. Kevin Waters this week, including legislation that would increase hiring options for many of Washington’s smaller businesses. House Bill 1730 would help the state’s workforce by creating more job openings for a larger group of applicants. The legislation would allow youth between the ages of 18 to 20 to be employed in establishments traditionally classified as off-limits to persons under the age of 21, under specific and limited circumstances. HB 1730 now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature. Earlier, the Senate passed House Bill 1731 to allow short-term rental operators, like those who rent properties through Airbnb for example, to acquire permits to provide one complimentary bottle of wine to rental guests who are at least 21 years old, under certain conditions. Because HB 1731 was amended by the Senate, the House must approve the changes before it heads to the governor’s desk.
April 7-8 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Hood River Valley 5, The Dalles 4 (8 innings)
Sherman sweeps Dufur 10-5 and 13-3
Stanfield-Echo sweeps Lyle-Klickitat-Wishram 12-2 and 12-1
Softball
The Dalles 13, Hood River Valley 1
Track and Field
The Dalles boys were second and the girls fifth at the Sandy Invitational. Juan Diego Contreras won both the boys’ 800 and 1500 meters for the Riverhawks while Leo Lemann won the 3,000. Zoe Dunn was first in both the girls’ long jump and triple jump.
Raymond Holycross’ two second place finishes highlighted the Goldendale effort at the Davis Invitational.
Sherman’s Morgan Geary won the girls’ triple jump at the Prairie City Annual Meet.
Boys Lacrosse
Sherwood 12, Hood River Valley 7
Girls Tennis
Hood River Valley wins the Gopher Classic Tournament in Gresham
Lewis Returns To White Salmon Superintendent Post
The White Salmon Valley School District board of directors announced they were appointing former District Superintendent Jerry Lewis to serve in that role for the remainder of this school year. The announcement was made following an executive session of the board Thursday night. Lewis replaces Sean McGeeney, who leaves the position in the wake of a controversy over how the district has ended up facing a budget shortfall of $3.5 million for the upcoming academic year. The district had a reserve of about $2.5 million when Lewis retired two years ago, but McGeeney had said that was down to about $90,000. The board did not elaborate on reasons for the change, noting there are details it cannot legally share at this time.