The Hood River Police Department says with the increasing use of electric bicycles on public roadways, they are issuing a reminder that youth under the age of 16 cannot legally operate an e-bike.  An electric bicycle is equipped with an electric motor integrated into the frame and wheel.  It cannot exceed 1,000 watts and is designed to not exceed 20 miles per hour.  E-bikes are considered a bicycle under the Oregon Vehicle Code.  Hood River Police say they are allowed on roadways, lanes, or paths that bicycles are permitted to use.  E-bikes are not permitted on sidewalks.  Hood River Police are encouraging parents to review e-bike laws before purchasing one for a child.      

Wasco County Commissioners approved an outdoor mass gathering permit for the Canyon Vibration art and music festival planned for September 9th to 11th at Justesen Ranch in Tygh Valley.  The event is expected to draw 700 people.  Wasco County Associate Planner Sean Bailey told the Commission they received no responses on the application from nearby landowners.  The only significant point of discussion was around volume levels, but Sheriff Lane Magill says he worked with festival organizers on that issue.  Magill said organizers will take readings at midnight at the junction of Davidson and Tygh Valley roads and keep the decibel level at 60 or less.

The Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency Board has decided to recommend to The Dalles City Council to return a $1.6 million federal grant issued ten years ago for the First Street Streetscape project because it can be finished quicker and for less money without it.  Board members heard a report from Travis Kruger from consultant HDR.  Kruger said the complexities of using the federal grant would add two-to-three years to the project with an estimated cost to the City of $5.1 million, while proceeding without it would only cost $4.3 million.  The Council will receive the recommendation at a September meeting.  The project would reconstruct First Street between Union and Laughlin.

Wasco County and Home At Last Humane Society officials will talk about options for public funding of some of the animal shelter’s services, but the road to get there may be difficult.  Home At Last board president Paul Viemeister and development director Erin Foote Morgan spoke to the County Commission during Wednesday’s public comment period, with Viemeister saying there needs to be more than the current five percent funding from public sources and more collaboration from the County and the City of The Dalles.  But Commissioner Steve Kramer and County Administrative Officer Tyler Stone pointed out that the County has provided the shelter building on River Road, and Kramer noted a tax levy measure could impact other special districts through property tax compression.  Commission Chair Kathy Schwartz asked for a meeting to be set up between County officials and Home At Last.

Hood River County Commissioners told staff to go ahead and keep talking with a company that would like to do testing for a geothermal energy project on County forestlands, but with a dose of skepticism.  GeoX Energy has approached the County about the possibility.  Commission Chair Mike Oates notes they are just doing due diligence, and noted without any of these kind of facilities actually in place it’s hard to know what the potential pitfalls are.  In a presentation to the Commission, GeoX officials said Hood River County has proximity to a heat source, Mt. Hood, and is near a transmission line.

After a cooler and wetter spring than expected, temperatures have warmed in the Gorge during July, and that means fire fuels are drying out.  Oregon Department of Forestry The Dalles Unit Wildland Fire Supervisor Erick Castaneda says hot temperatures and high winds have fire crews on alert.  Castaneda noted last week they had to deal with a 15-acre fire in the Mosier area, but were able to get it knocked down thanks to some wetter fuels underneath trees.  But he expects with continued drying, fire crews will have a busy summer.  

The Mid-Columbia Broadband Speed Survey continues through mid-August.  Mid-Columbia Economic Development District and the Wasco County Broadband Action Team developed the survey.  Carrie Pipinich of MCEDD says the survey is looking to better define gaps in service in Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat, and Skamania counties, and explore strategies to improve them.  The survey that asks for connectivity speed information can be accessed at mcedd.org.

Klickitat County Commissioners approved designating Skamania County Community Health as Klickitat County’s provider of mental health crisis response on what is expected to be a temporary basis beginning on August 6.  Klickitat County will now search for a permanent replacement for Comprehensive Healthcare, which announced in June it would withdraw from the role.  During a worksession prior to the vote, County Public Health Director Erinn Quinn said Skamania County only intends to provide crisis services on an interim basis for 90 days, and Klickitat County will have to find individuals to provide the services.  The next step will be to find a permanent solution to start in early November.  Quinn said Skamania County Commissioners next week are expected to sign the agreement.  

Work has begun to create a central public entrance point for Hood River Middle School.  Hood River County School District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn says the facility has been difficult to secure because of the number of doors it has, adding to get to the main office to check-in visitors had to walk through the hallways of the school.  Polkinghorn says the work currently being done will change that.  He says in the sunken courtyard between the old school building and the newer sixth grade wing, a new connection between the two is being built that will include a new main office, and it will become the school entrance.  The project should be finished sometime during the holiday season.

Hood River County Commissioners will have planning staff look at time, place, and manner regulations related to psilocybin product manufacturers and service centers.  In 2020 Oregon voters passed a measure to allow psilocybin to be used for clinical purposes within supervised and licensed facilities, and the Oregon Health Authority will start receiving applications in 2023.  County Commission Chair Mike Oates says they would like to craft their own regulations rather than just using what the state is putting together, noting the amount of high-value farm use lands in the County.  In addition, there was concern that state-developed regulations might not be as sensitive to buffering issues near facilities such as schools in unincorporated areas.