Human remains found on the Sherman County side of the John Day River in March of 1989 have been identified through modern DNA testing methods as those of a man reported missing after a large flooding event in 1964. The Oregon State Police says the remains have been identified as those of David West, Jr., who disappeared after trying to cross the John Day River during a flood in 1964. West was known to cross the John Day often to feed cattle, to the point of building a makeshift cable car across the river to assist in navigating the waters. On the day of the flood, West was thought to be feeding cattle near Ashwood. A friend who went to check on him saw the cable car had been washed away, a large tree that held the cable was uprooted, West’s dog was injured on the bank of the river, and West himself was never heard from again. The Oregon Medical Examiner’s Office had held the remains found in 1989, and recently a private DNA lab was able to reveal the name of two biological relatives of West, and they provided samples that confirmed the identification.
Category: Uncategorized
MCFR Responds To Travel Trailer Fire
Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue says a travel trailer fire led to minor damage to a residence on Saturday evening. According to MCFR, the fire was reported in the vicinity of Ideal Trailer Park in The Dalles shortly after 8:20 on Saturday evening. Firefighters found a 28-foot travel trailer with smoke showing and flames exposed to a nearby residence. Crews established a water supply and deployed handlines to protect the exposed residence and knock down the trailer fire. The trailer sustained smoke, heat, and water damage, while damage to the residence was minor. There were no injuries. MCFR said the probable cause of the fire appeared to be an electrical malfunction in the wiring.
Cherry Day Wednesday; Hort Meeting Thursday
It’s a busy time for the Mid-Columbia tree-fruit industry, with OSU Extension’s annual Cherry Day set for Wednesday in The Dalles followed by the Winter Horticultural Meeting on Thursday in Hood River. OSU Extension’s Ashley Thompson says they will discuss a variety of topics at the meeting, including entomology, horticulture, legislative updates, and technology. Both meetings carry with them two pesticide credits for producers if they stay for the whole session. Cherry Day begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, and the Winter Horticultural meeting starts Thursday morning at 8 a.m. at the Best Western Hood River Inn.
Helfrich Appointed To Housing Production Panel
Oregon State 52nd District Representative Jeff Helfrich has been appointed to the Governor’s Housing Production Advisory Council. Helfrich was tabbed to the panel by House Speaker Dan Rayfield, and is also the vice-chair of the House Housing and Homelessness Committee. Helfrich says his goal is to see new housing started sooner rather than later, adding there is a need to clear red tape that builders and developers must work through to start a project. In addition, Helfrich says every region of Oregon unique, so flexibility is needed to allow local jurisdictions to move ahead with solutions that are right for them.
Harmony Of The Gorge Singing Valentines Are Back
Harmony of the Gorge Chorus is once again taking orders for their Singing Valentines. It’s the biggest fundraiser of the year for the area’s Sweet Adelines organization. Harmony of the Gorge’s Judy Galloway says they have a quartet ready to go around the region on Valentine’s Day to sing to those you love. They will go to locations in the Gorge and sing two songs to anyone you like, plus give them a card and a rose. The chorus will also call, email, or use Facebook to send a gift of song anywhere in the country. To place an order, call 541-490-2481 or visit harmonyofthegorge.com.
February 3-4 Prep Sports Roundup
Boys Basketball
Crook County 70, The Dalles 46
Hood River Valley 65, Centennial 59
King’s Way Christian 66, Columbia 56
Seton Catholic 59, Stevenson 55
Mannahouse Academy 70, Stevenson 53
Horizon Christian 61, Trout Lake 35
South Wasco 67, Horizon Christian 52
South Wasco 61, Dufur 45
Dufur 70, Lyle-Wishram 47
Lyle-Wishram 63, Klickitat-Glenwood 56
Klickitat-Glenwood 59, Trout Lake 55
Sherman 59, Condon 37
Goldendale 56, Kittitas 33
Girls Basketball
Columbia 62, Castle Rock 31
Stevenson 46, Mannahouse Academy 41
Trout Lake 72, Horizon Christian 16
Trout Lake 56, Klickitat-Glenwood 28
South Wasco 64, Dufur 38
South Wasco 52, Horizon Christian 27
Sherman 42, Condon 26
Dufur 53, Lyle-Wishram 24
Klickitat-Glenwood 79, Lyle-Wishram 12
Goldendale 41, Kittitas 31
Girls Wrestling
Lauraine Smith won her weight class while Natalia Solorio Campos finished third to also qualify for state for Hood River Valley at the Class 6A/5A regional girls wrestling tournament at Century. Smith won all four of her matches at 155 pounds by fall, winning the final in 3:16 over Isabel Herring of Cleveland. Campos won three out of four to advance, topping Ava McNichol of Reynolds by fall 2:27 into the third place match. The state tournament is in three weeks in Portland.
Columbia’s Jessica Polkinghorn won the 155 pound division at a girls’ sub-regional tournament in Washougal, while Madison Kiemele and Kali Watson of Goldendale had second place finishes at another sub-regional in Quincy.
Boys Wrestling
Hood River Valley finished third and The Dalles eighth in the Hood River Memorial Tournament at Vannet Court. HRV’s Connor Farlow won the 113 pound division. Forest Grove won the team title.
Columbia had two individual champions and Stevenson one at the Trico League Championships in Stevenson. For the Bruins, Sawyer Muehlbauer won at 170 pounds and Matthias Posini was first at 285. Solomon Mahoney won the 132 pound division for the Bulldogs. Columbia finished third as a team and Stevenson fourth, as Castle Rock won the team title.
Goldendale’s Matthew Gray finished second at 140 pounds to lead the Timberwolves’ effort at EWAC Districts at Granger.
Alpine Skiing
Emily Teets of Hood River Valley won for the fourth straight week, winning the girls’ Mt. Hood League giant slalom at Ski Bowl West. HRV’s Zoe Mortenson was fifth and Ella Smith of The Dalles was eighth. Trout Lake’s Rowan Shuman won the boys’ race, with HRV’s Lars Welch was fifth, Grey Roetscioneder of The Dalles was eighth and the Riverhawks’ Cooper Klindt was tenth.
February 2 Prep Basketball Roundup
Boys Basketball
Hood River Valley 62, Centennial 41: Zak Poole scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter as HRV was finally able to pull away for the win. The Eagles moved even with Canby for fourth in the Northwest Oregon Conference with the win.
Kittitas 53, Goldendale 48
Girls Basketball
Crook County 36, The Dalles 24: The Cowgirls dropped the Riverhawks out of the logjam for third in the Tri-Valley Conference.
Hood River Valley 52, Mountain View (Vancouver) 36: Marina Castaneda scored ten straight points to end the first quarter and give the Eagles the lead for good in the non-league contest. Castaneda finished with 16 points on the game.
King’s Way Christian 49, Columbia 39
Seton Catholic 59, Stevenson 39
Goldendale 41, Kittitas 31
Man Taken Into Custody After Police Standoff Identified
The man who remained in a Hood River home for several hours before surrendering to police Thursday night has been identified.
Hood River Police Chief Neal Holste says 42-year-old Simeon Hill was taken to a medical facility after giving himself up following an hours-long standoff.
Police spokesman Don Cheli says Hill was not wounded or injured in the incident.
Holste says officers responded to a call from Hill’s father shortly after noon on Thursday, and he explained his son was a combat veteran with access to multiple firearms, and had fired a gun in his residence at 2510 Viento Lane shortly before police arrived.
When officers moved toward the residence, they reported hearing several more shots being fired from the residence over their head in the direction of nearby businesses.
Holste says nearby businesses and residences were evacuated.
After several hours of negotiating, at around 9:30 p.m. Hill emerged from the residence and surrendered.
Several firearms and ammunition were seized from the townhouse.
Holste says the case will be reviewed by the Hood River County District Attorney’s office for charges including unlawful use of a weapon, reckless endangering, and disorderly conduct.
Update: Hood River Police Take Suspect Into Custody
The Hood River Police Department says they have taken the individual involved in a shooting incident in Hood River early this afternoon into custody.
A statement on social media from the HRPD at 9:40 p.m. said the male suspect was taken into custody safely with the help of multiple surrounding law enforcement agencies to bring this incident to a close.
The person’s name and other details have not yet been released.
The HRPD said residents who live in the affected area and were asked to evacuate can return home.
Police responded at around noon to a call about a dangerous situation at a private residence near Viento Lane and Clearwater Lane.
When officers tried to make contact, an individual in the house fired multiple shots.
Police were able to contain the person in the house, and evacuated surrounding businesses and residences, while schools in the lower Hood River Valley were placed on secure status for a time.
A Special Weapons and Tactics team from Clackamas County was brought in, with loud distraction devices and tear gas deployed to attempt to bring the man out of the home.
State Bar Professional Responsibility Board Dismisses Complaint
The Oregon State Bar’s State Professional Responsibility Board has found former Wasco County District Attorney Eric Nisley and former Deputy District Attorney Leslie Wolf did not violate state’s Rules of Professional Conduct. Current Wasco County District Attorney Matthew Ellis had filed a complaint against Nisley and Wolf, alleging the pair hid evidence that former The Dalles Police Department officer Jeffrey Kienlen had been found to be untruthful by the department, after Ellis in 2021 found a notice of Kienlen’s demotion from sergeant to police officer in February 2011 in a desk drawer shortly after taking office. But the board wrote in its decision that it could not find clear and convincing evidence either Nisley or Wolf violated any ethics rules. Ellis, a former defense attorney, claimed Nisley and Wolf should have provided that document to defense counsels in various prosecutions after the notice, and did in 2022 conduct a hearing that determine Kienlen would be disqualified as a witness in Wasco County prosecutions.