Klickitat County Commission Chair Ron Ihrig says they are planning to put a hiring freeze in place by the end of the year. Ihrig says it would be part of the Commission’s goal to stabilize their budget over the next three years. He says he would rather gradually reduce personnel through attrition rather than layoffs in the future. Ihrig did say the freeze would be flexible, recognizing some positions must be filled, and there are some services that are 24-7 in nature. The County will be holding a public hearing on its proposed 2026 budget at its December 2 meeting.
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ODOT Opens All Lanes Of I-84 At McCord Creek Bridge
The Oregon Department of Transportation says all travel lanes on Interstate 84 at McCord Creek west of Toothrock Tunnel will be open until early 2026. ODOT is preparing to replace the aging bridge that carries I-84 east over McCord Creek near Warrendale. One travel lane in each direction had been closed since mid-October while crews drilled under the bridges, built a retaining wall and prepped the work zone on the highway for the crossover traffic configuration planned in spring 2026. Crews will continue working underneath I-84 by constructing supports beneath the eastbound bridge through the winter. This work will not affect I-84 travelers. Replacing the bridge will eliminate a dip in the roadway and increase safety, earthquake resilience, and the lifespan of the highway. The northeast Frontage Road on-ramp to eastbound I-84 at the Elowah Falls Trailhead parking lot is also open until early next year.
November 22 Prep Football Roundup
Oregon Class 1A 8-Man Football Semi-Final
Crosspoint Christian 44, Dufur 8: The Warriors raced out to a 30-0 halftime lead as they ran for 252 yards in the first half alone. Nate Gibson was doing most of the damage with rushing touchdowns of 43, two and 14 yards. Defensively, the Warriors gave up only 52 total yards in the first half and just two first downs.
The Rangers showed some life to start the third quarter, taking their opening drive down to the goal line and eventually scoring on a 1-yard TD run from Choice Richards, cutting the deficit to 30-8 after the successful two-point try.
However, the Warriors came right back, picking up a big 4th-and-6 on the ensuing drive and eventually getting a 35-yard TD run from Gibson, who would later score again from 62 yards out.
Oregon Class 1A 6-Man Football Semi-Final
Harper Christian 27, Sherman 6: Harper Charter only led 7-0 at halftime when Madoxx Martinez threw a TD pass to Cope Christensen on the second play of the second quarter. In the second half, Martinez took the opening kickoff for the Hornets for a touchdown, putting Harper up 13-0 early in the third.
Harper scored following the blocked punt that occurred inside the Sherman 20-yard line, Martinez hit Colt Benz for a 15-yard TD pass and catch, followed by the one-point run to put Harper up 20-0 quickly in the third. The Huskies were able to put together a strong drive that ended with a deflected pass from Robert Williams that went right into the hands of Rhyder Smith for a 15-yard TD, cutting the Harper lead to 20-6. But Martinez connected with Richard Joyce up the middle on a 12-yard pass for the score that sealed the win for Harper.
Seattle Man Arrested After I-84 Pursuit
A 22-year-old Seattle man was arrested after leading law enforcement on a pursuit on Interstate 84 in Gilliam County on Thursday night. According to the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect fled from an Oregon State Trooper near Hermiston when he was being taken into custody for violation of a restraining order. Minutes later, Gilliam County Sheriff’s deputies located the suspect driving westbound on Interstate 84 near Arlington. The driver then led deputies on a more than 20 mile pursuit, before pulling onto the freeway shoulder and surrendering without further incident. The man was taken into custody for attempting to elude, violating a restraining order, reckless driving, and reckless endangering. The Sheriff’s Office says additional charges are expected.
FHA Approves Record Of Decision For New Hood River-White Salmon Bridge
The Federal Highway Administration has formally issued its approval of the National Environmental Policy Act review process for the proposed new Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge. The Record of Decision documents the selected bridge alternative, and confirms that anticipated environmental impacts, mitigation commitments, and public and tribal input have been fully reviewed under federal law. It enables the project to move into final design, permitting, right-of-way actions, and construction procurement, while recording required environmental, cultural, and tribal mitigation commitments, paving the way for federal funding to be obligated to the project. The $1.12 billion project has a pending $532 million request to the federal Bridge Investment Program to complete the financial stack to move into construction. Bridge Authority co-chair Mike Fox called the approval “a pivotal moment for our region.” With the Record of Decision secured, the bridge project team—led by HNTB and Kiewit Infrastructure West—will continue working toward final design and securing permits and approvals. Once full funding is secured, construction is expected to take approximately four years, with the new bridge slated to open in 2031.
Mariposa Village Construction On Schedule
Work on the Mariposa Village affordable housing development off Rand Road in Hood River is on schedule. Mid-Columbia Housing Authority and Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation Executive Director Karen Long says they are on track for the first phase of the 130-unit project this summer, with the second phase of units ready in January 2027. The project is targeted to families earning 60 percent or less of the annual median income in the area. Mid-Columbia Housing Authority recently received funding to build 76 affordable housing units on Chenwoith Loop Road in The Dalles, 20 of which will be reserved for veterans. Long said construction is currently targeted to begin in late summer of 2026, and will take about 18 months to complete.
The Link Offers Annual Dial-A-Ride Pass
The Link Public Transit announced it will offer an annual $80 Dial-A-Ride pass for unlimited Dial-A-Ride service within Northern Wasco County, including The Dalles, Mosier, and Dufur, starting December 1. The agency said the pass is open to all riders, and is especially beneficial for seniors and people with disabilities. Riders are encouraged to book at least one day in advance, with the rides available on a first-come, first-served basis. The pass will also act as a regular GorgePass to ride all fixed-route services provided by The Link, Columbia Area Transit, Mt. Adams Transportation Services, and Skamania County Transit.
HR County Commission Talks Courthouse Costs
The Hood River County Commission decided to move forward with seeking reimbursement of $120,000 from an Association of Oregon Counties/Oregon Judicial Department task force and 100 percent of the cost of other design work for replacement of the County Courthouse, while at the same time seeking changes to state polices to make it more affordable for small counties to build what is required for modern courthouses. That after learning from a County task force working on the project that as it stands now, it would take a 30-year bond measure with a property tax rate of $1.80 per $1,000 of assessed value to cover the local cost of a new courthouse. The Commission felt that wasn’t a realistic ask of the citizenry. County Administrator Allison Williams said they will continue with trying to push the statewide conversation about how courthouses are paid for, and the need for the state to pick up a larger share. The County will also be putting together an estimated $1,000,000 request to the state for critical infrastructure needs at the current courthouse.
WS School Board Approves Bond Measure Resolution
The White Salmon Valley School District Board approved a resolution to put a bond measure on the February 10 ballot to build a K-12 campus on the current location of Henkle Middle School, Stevenson Intermediate School, and Columbia High School. The campus is a recommendation of a facilities planning committee as it looked at options for replacing the aging Whitson Elementary School. District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn says the bond measure will have a property tax rate of $1.66 per $1,000 of assessed property value over 20 years. The district board also approved a resolution to place on the same ballot a renewal of its three-year Educational Programs and Operations Levy at an estimated rate of $1.60 per $1,000 of assessed value.
The Dalles Chamber Celebrates Pink Friday
The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating Pink Friday this week. Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson says Pink Friday was created a few years ago to help small women-owned businesses by shopping them before Black Friday the following week, and it has morphed into awareness of all small businesses. Farquharson is once again emphasizing the importance of the holiday season for small businesses in the community. She noted that Shop Small Saturday will be taking place on November 29, the day after Black Friday.