The Washington State House unanimously approval a bill authored by Goldendale Representative Gina Mosbrucker that would provide additional tools and resources to help locate and recover all missing persons in Washington. House Bill 1512 is also known as the “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Persons and Lucian Act,” and is the result of a recommendation from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force and the Office of the Attorney General. It is also named after Lucian Munguia, a four-year-old Yakima boy with autism who was reported missing on Sept. 10, and whose body was discovered nearly three months later in the Yakima River. The bill would require the Office of the Attorney General to publish and maintain on its website a “Missing Persons Toolkit” that contains regularly updated information related to locating and recovering missing persons. It also directs the Attorney General’s office to publish the toolkit in the top 10 languages spoken in Washington. The bill passed 96-0. It now goes to the Senate for further consideration.
Category: Uncategorized
Cessation Classes Available Free Of Charge
North Central Public Health District and the Hood River County Prevention Department are offering free tobacco cessation classes along with free nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges for those taking the classes. The cessation classes are funded by revenue from voter-approved Measure 108 that took effect in 2022, which raised the tobacco tax by $2 a pack. North Central Public Health District says in Wasco and Sherman counties nearly 15 percent of adults smoke, and over 44 percent of them tried to quit in the previous year. To sign up in Wasco and Sherman counties, go to ncphd.org or call 541-506-2609. In Hood River County, go to hoodriverprevents.com.
Work On Smoke Response Plan Continues
Work continues on a regional response plan for wildfire smoke. OSU Extension, which received grant funds to spearhead the project, recently held a public input session on their draft plan, and an online survey remains available for another week. Extension Air Quality Coordinator Livi Plihal says the message they are consistently hearing is a desire for more preparedness information. Key to the effort is the installation of a number of air quality monitors to provide accurate data on smoke in the region. The survey can be accessed through the OSU Extension Office Wasco County Facebook page.
Full Weekend Closures Of The Dalles Bridge Ends
The Oregon Department of Transportation says there will be no more full weekend closures of The Dalles Bridge now that a major portion of the work to replace the structure’s driving surface is finished. Crews have been working on the project since 2021, and during much of that time the bridge has been closed on weekends. ODOT says the bridge deck replacement is complete, but travelers should expect to see continued construction through April. Crews will be closing single lanes at night during the week and flagging traffic. There will be two consecutive weekends in April with nighttime only closures of the entire bridge to install a concrete surface over the entire length of the bridge. The schedule for those closures will be announced later this spring.
Wasco County Clerk’s Office Continues Election Modernization
The Wasco County Clerk’s office is moving forward with the purchase of a new ballot scanner and sorter under a grant from the Secretary of State’s office for election modernization. County Clerk Lisa Gambee told County Commissioners as they approved the acquisition during their Wednesday meeting that the new equipment will reduce the number of times the staff handles ballots when they come into the office. Gambee said this new equipment will modernize the one part of their ballot handling procedures that remained primarily manual in nature.
HR Schools Open Kindergarten/New Student Enrollment For 23-24
The Hood River County School District has opened kindergarten and new student enrollment for the 2023-24 school year. To enroll students, families need to complete an online form at hoodriver.k12.or.us. Based on Oregon Department of Education guidance, the district recommends enrolling students in grades according to their age. This spring the district will announce information for summer programs to address academic needs. Geographical boundaries determine the attendance area for each school in the district. Elementary schools will offer special informational events for kindergarten families between May and June. For more information, call the district office at 541-386-2511.
WSVEF Names Uffelman New Director
The White Salmon Valley Education Foundation has named Kylie Uffelman as its new executive director. Uffelman has worked and volunteered within the White Salmon Valley School District for more than a decade. Before joining the foundation, Kylie worked as a reading intervention specialist and provided early learning community outreach to local students. She is also the parent of three children in the White Salmon Valley school system. The foundation provides for educational programs in the White Salmon district through outside grants and by awarding money directly from community-raised funds.
Bill To Make Drug Possession Gross Misdemeanor Gets Consideration
A bill in the Washington Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee would address some of the issues brought about by the state Supreme Court’s Blake decision that struck down the state’s main drug possession crime. The bill would make knowingly possessing a controlled substance a gross misdemeanor, create a pre-trial diversion system, and requires the courts to impose mandatory minimum jail time if the person does not agree to treatment, and completion of treatment would be required for the conviction to be vacated. Republican 14th District Representative Chris Corry says it’s not quite as tough as he would like, but if the bill moves forward he will strongly consider it. The bill has gone to the Senate Rules Committee for a second reading.
WA House Approves Alcohol/THC Prohibition
The Washington State House passed a bill to make it illegal to manufacture and sell alcohol mixed with tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana. When combined with alcohol, 17th District Representative Kevin Waters says the effects of impairment can be deadly, and the Stevenson Republican wants to get ahead of the issue before these types of products become more prevalent. In Washington, both substances are independently legal, but regulated. House Bill 1772 would prohibit the manufacture, importation and sale of products that combine THC and liquor. The bill passed 94 to 3 and now heads to the Senate.
Bill To Ban Over-The Counter Sexual Assault Kits Passes WA House
The Washington State House unanimously approved a bill by 14th District Representative Gina Mosbrucker to ban the sale and distribution of over-the-counter home sexual assault kits. The Goldendale Republican said the kits are not able to be put into the FBI’s criminal justice database, CODIS, which creates a DNA profile of a suspect and can help find repeat rapists. Mosbrucker noted she has the official sexual assault kit in her office, which is much different from the do-it-yourself kits. It tests blood, urine, hair samples, and many other methods of evidence collection, and is about a four-hour process. House Bill 1564 passed 96-0. It now goes to the Senate for further consideration.