As the Hood River Urban Renewal Agency begins a feasibility study for a proposed Westside Urban Renewal District, there is a sense of urgency to get it the district formally established by the end of August 2023.  Mayor Kate McBride says they have put out a request for proposals to get the feasibility study done, and the goal is to be able to freeze the tax base within the district during the summer of 2023.  Otherwise, McBride says they would have to wait another year.  A timeline presented by City Manager Abigail Elder at the Council’s September 12 meeting called for the study phase to be wrapped up by March of next year.  The City is looking at establishing a Westside Urban Renewal District in order to facilitate infrastructure improvements for residential housing.

Area fire crews on Friday night dealt with a pair of brush fires alongside Interstate 84 between Mosier and Rowena.  The spot fires were reported just after 7:30 Friday night.  They burned a couple of acres along a long narrow strip alongside the freeway on the south side of I-84.  Crews from Mosier, Dallesport, Hood River, Dufur, Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, and Wy’east responded to the fire, with the Oregon State Police and Wasco County Sheriff’s Office also assisting.  Control of the fire began to be achieved about an hour-and-a-half after it started, but crews were there through the night and into Saturday morning to get the area mopped up.

Signs posted on the Oregon shore of the Columbia River in The Dalles area resulting from sewage overflow caused by a plugged sewer pipe will remain up until at least Tuesday.  The Dalles Public Works says another status update will be made Tuesday afternoon.  A plugged sewer pipe discovered Friday sent sewage overlow directly into Mill Creek and into the Columbia River.  According to The Dalles Public Works, a wastewater collection crew conducted a routine inspection at the manhole at the 9^th Street Bridge over Mill Creek, and found the lock had been broken and vandals had thrown rocks and concrete pieces into the manhole, causing a plugged sewer pipe.  The sewer pipe has been cleared and the pipe has been repaired.  Out of an abundance of caution, warning signs advising no water contact were placed at locations of public river access on the Oregon shore of the Columbia River, from The Dalles Riverfront Park to West Mayer Park boat launch.

Columbia Gorge Community College is receiving industry-standard manufacturing equipment to expand job training for students pursuing careers in technology-based careers.  The equipment is the latest addition to the college’s Columbia Gorge Regional Skills Center.  Google provided a grant of $85,000 to Columbia Gorge Community College Foundation to purchase and transport the equipment, which includes computer numerical controlled milling and lathe equipment from Prigel Machines in Odell.  The machines are used in a variety of industries including manufacturing, agriculture, aerospace and wood products.  The college also plans to make these new machines available for businesses to use for prototyping and design.  In 2021, Google contributed funding for a 3D-printer, laser engraver, watercutter, milling machine, studio system furnace, and other equipment for the Regional Skills Center’s makerspace, resolving a critical gap in training capacity.

The Mid-Columbia Senior Center in The Dalles is accepting nominations for the Wasco County Ageless Awards. Individuals must be 75 years or older, reside in Wasco County, and have made and are still making contributions to their communities. Please provide the nominee’s name and contact information with your name and contact information and attach a short paragraph describing why the person should be considered for an Ageless Award. Email it to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com or mail it to Mid-Columbia Senior Center, 1112 W 9th, The Dalles, OR 97058. Those with questions can call Rob Garrett at 541-296-4788. The Ageless Awards will be presented on November 17th to recognize the invaluable contributions of older adults in our communities.

Football

Hood River Valley 21, Forest Grove 8

Elma 41, Columbia 7

Stevenson 40, Seton Catholic 37

Powder Valley 46, Lyle-Klickitat-Wishram 8

Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 43, South Wasco 20

Columbia-Burbank 58, Goldendale 26

  Volleyball

The Dalles swept Pendleton, Astoria, and Tillamook at the North Marion Tournament

Stevenson def. Tenino 3-1

Condon def. Horizon Christian 3-0

South Wasco defeated Thurston JV and Mohawk before falling in a five-set match to Oakridge at the Mohawk Tournament

  Cross Country

Juan Diego Contreras of The Dalles finished 18^th in the boys’ Danner Championships at the Nike Portland Classic.  Hood River Valley finished ninth in Division 1 varsity, with Elliot Hawley grabbing a seventh place finish.  The Dalles’ boys were ninth and girls 13^th in Division 3.

Columbia’s boys and girls both finished third in Division 4 at the Seaside Three Course Challenge.

Goldendale’s boys finished sixth at the Connell Invitational, with Sean Henrikson grabbing a seventh place finish.

  Girls Soccer

Stevenson 1, Fort Vancouver 0

Goldendale 2, Zillah 1

The Hood River Police Department says it recovered pure fentanyl at the scene of an automobile crash after a driver failed to stop for a police officer.  According to an HRPD statement, an officer attempt to stop the vehicle on Sunday when he observed erratic driving behavior with the City limits.  The driver failed to stop and the officer discontinued the attempt to the stop the vehicle when it became unsafe.  Later, the vehicle was discovered after crashing on Interstate 84 near milepost 55, and the driver apparently fled on foot.  Attempts to locate the suspect were unsuccessful, but recovered from the scene were 21 grams of suspected pure fentanyl and a stolen firearm.

Football

Dufur 44, Sherman 28

  Volleyball

The Dalles def. Madras 25-9, 25-12, 25-12

LaSalle def. Hood River Valley 25-6, 25-5, 25-3

Columbia def. Tenino 25-19, 25-7, 25-21

Stevenson def. Elma 16-25, 25-17, 25-15, 20-25, 15-12

South Wasco def. Dufur 25-6, 25-5, 25-18

Lyle-Wishram def. Horizon Christian 25-20, 25-14, 25-17

Goldendale def. Mabton 25-13, 25-13, 25-7

  Boys Soccer

Cleveland 4, Hood River Valley 0

Estacada 4, The Dalles 1

  Girls Soccer

Newberg 4, Hood River Valley 1

The Dalles 3, Estacada 0

Columbia 9, Stevenson 1

Trout Lake 7, De La Salle North Catholic 0

The White Salmon City Council voted unanimously to approve a Personnel and Finance Committee recommendation to increase the salaries of the Mayor and City Councilors.  Monthly compensation for Councilors will go from the current $166 per month to $225 starting after the November 2023 election for two positions and in 2025 for the other two, while the Mayor’s salary moves from $655 to $2,000 a month once the ordinance becomes official.  That’s because unlike Councilors, the Mayor does not get to vote on the proposal.  Councilor Jason Hartmann, who was on the Personnel and Finance Committee, said during deliberation the mayoral increase reflects the 20 to 30 hour nature of that job.  Mayor Marla Keethler said the compensation level was an issue when seeking candidates to run for Council positions.

Wasco County Commissioners approved the second reading of an outdoor mass gathering ordinance after a very brief public hearing.  The new ordinance defines outdoor mass gatherings requiring a permit as 500 people or more.  Currently, outdoor mass gatherings are defined as any event in rural Wasco County.  County Planning Director Kelly Howsley-Glover says the current requirements for a permit can be unclear, and this will attempt to streamline that process.  She adds the ordinance is based on state law, but there are two areas where the County made changes, one of which is using the 500 person cap rather than the state’s number of 3,000, and the other is for fire safety.