Mid-Columbia Center for Living is working on its local plan for providing mental health and substance abuse safety net services that gets submitted by the Oregon Health Authority. Center For Living Project Manager Gaby Swisher says it covers areas such as system management, crisis services, and disaster response. Swisher notes there are some services that are required by the OHA, but there is some discretion based on local needs. Swisher says the state has changed the way the plan is put together, so Center For Living is having to restructure their plan to meet that requirement.
Category: Uncategorized
January 9-10 Prep Sports Roundup
Boys Basketball
LaSalle 68, Hood River Valley 59
Seaside 49, The Dalles 47
Tillamook 87, The Dalles 85
Fort Vancouver 72, Columbia 59
Stevenson 54, Castle Rock 53
Klickitat-Glenwood 65, Trout Lake 22
Klickitat-Glenwood 68, Dufur 52
Lyle-Wishram 58, Sherman 52
Sherman 72, Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 27
Condon 68, Lyle-Wishram 59
South Wasco 79, Dufur 21
South Wasco 64, Horizon Christian 47
Girls Basketball
LaSalle 44, Hood River Valley 21
Seaside 58, The Dalles 24
Columbia 47, Fort Vancouver 29
Castle Rock 53, Stevenson 14
Dufur 41, South Wasco 21
South Wasco 35. Horizon Christian 20
Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 36, Sherman 33
Boys and Girls Wrestling
The Dalles’ Harley Scott won four out of five matches to finished second in the boys’ 144 pound division at the Paul/Larson Invitational at Sandy. The Riverhawks’ Sophia Carrilo finished third in the girls’ 235 division.
Hood River Valley’s Ayleen Marquez was third at 110 pounds at the Lady Dragon Invitational in Dallas.
January 8 Prep Sports Roundup
Boys Basketball
Seton Catholic 65, Columbia 45
Boys Wrestling
Hood River Valley 59, Milwaukie 6
Hood River Valley 55, Parkrose 12: Aaron Smith won two matches during the night for the Eagles.
Girls Wrestling
Hood River Valley 54, Milwaukie 24
Hood River Valley 60, Parkrose 5:
Community Music Festival Planned for The Dalles In March
A new three-day community festival celebrating, music, arts, and local culture is planned for downtown The Dalles in March. Two non-profit groups, The Dalles Overground and the Performing Arts Initiative, will launch The Hoot from March 6-8. Organizers say it is designed for all ages and offered free to the public, and will bring together critically acclaimed artists, emerging regional talents, and local youth performers across intimate venues within easy walking distance, including the historic Granada Theatre, Herbring House, River City Saloon, and Wines On Second. There will also be a Coffee with the Songwriters event the mornings of both March 7 and 8, a community fun run, a Beer & Yoga event, and an array of arts, cultural activities, and small business promotions. The Dalles Overground is an all-volunteer nonprofit seeking to bring original arts and culture to The Dalles, and facilitate, promote, and encourage community, diversity, and inclusiveness through artistic platforms.
CGCC Looks To Fill Budget Committee Vacancies
Columbia Gorge Community College is trying to fill seven vacancies on its budget committee. District electors in Hood River and Wasco counties can be considered for appointment by the CGCC Board of Education to a three-year term on the budget committee. Those who would like to apply can send a letter of interest and resume with qualifications, phone number, and address to the Board of Education at Columbia Gorge Community College, 400 East Scenic Drive in The Dales, zip code 97058, or by email at tprince@cgcc.edu. Deadline for consideration is January 20.
January 7 Prep Basketball Roundup
Boys Basketball
Hood River Valley 83, Hillsboro 82: Deacon Ybarra’s rebound put-back just before the buzzer capped a wild Eagle comeback from a ten-point deficit in the final two-and-a-half minutes. Grant Dunn scored 19 points, Ybarra 18, and JJ Poole 17 as the Eagles overcame Hillsboro shooting nearly 60 percent from the field.
LaCenter 81, Stevenson 50
Girls Basketball
Hood River Valley 34, Hillsboro 30: The Eagles had a 16-point run in the first half to take the lead, and held on from there in spite of only scoring two-points in the fourth quarter. Emily Doss scored eight points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead HRV.
Seton Catholic 62, Columbia 30
LaCenter 68, Stevenson 33
MCCFL Facing 30 Percent Cut From PacificSource
Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties are trying to determine their options as PacificSource seeks a 30 percent cut in the payments it provides for mental and behavioral health services to Mid-Columbia Center for Living through the Columbia Gorge Coordinated Care Organization. Center for Living Executive Director Al Barton talked to Wasco County Commissioners about the situation on Wednesday, noting the cuts would seriously impact its ability to deliver programs. Barton asked Commissioners to sign on to a letter to PacificSource protesting the cut it proposes in the contract it submitted, and Commission Chair Scott Hege said while they need to do that, they need to take other steps as well. County Administrative Officer Tyler Stone noted this might be an opportunity to seek a new CCO. Barton said Center for Living offered to take a contract that would have a one-ninth reduction in funding, but that was rejected by PacificSource.
No Timeline For Water’s Edge Reopening
Adventist Health Columbia Gorge has gotten about 95 percent of its operations that were housed at Water’s Edge in The Dalles functioning at new locations, but there is no timeline established for re-entering the building. Adventist Administrative and Operations Officer Jayme Thompson told Wasco County Commissioners on Wednesday that they have had conversations with the Oregon Health Authority on code updates and the need to rebuild around those. She does not foresee a quick return, but also doesn’t think it will take 12 months to get back into the building. Water’s Edge suffered serious damage during the severe wind storm the night of December 16. County Commissioners approved a Declaration of Emergency as a result of that storm, which could help provide some funding help for repairs.
Klickitat County Emergency Management Moving To Public Works
Klickitat County’s Emergency Management program is going to move into the Public Works department. County Commissioners gave their verbal approval to the change, which is part of the County’s on-going reorganization efforts. County Administrator Robb Van Cleave said the move is not a performance issue, but a desire to allow the Emergency Management director to focus expertise on a major radio system improvement plan and the challenge of maintaining staffing at the County dispatch center. Van Cleave noted that Public Works has a past history of running the emergency management program in Klickitat County. He also said the intent is to label the program as Klickitat Emergency Communications, in line with similar programs in Washington.
Pinchot Assessing Huckleberry Permit Impacts
Gifford Pinchot National Forest managers are assessing the impacts of a decision last March to not issue commercial huckleberry harvesting permits for the duration of the 2025 season. Forest Service officials made that decision due to overharvesting concerns, enforcement challenges, and escalating conflicts among harvesters. A Commercial Huckleberry Feedback Form is available at the Gifford Pinchot National Forest website to gather feedback to guide decision making for 2026. Huckleberries hold significant cultural and economic importance to tribes, local communities, businesses, and personal use gatherers. In the early 2000s, permitted commercial huckleberry harvesting began on the Pinchot with harvests ranging from 50,000 to 70,000 gallons annually.